Blood Against the Midnight Snow
by aussie girl1990
Summary: Havoc is unleashed on Sasuke's life when his eldest son mutters the three little words 'Father, I'm gay.' But when his son goes on a mission and doesn't return will Sasuke even want to look for him? Sas/Hin
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Notes: This story isn't aimed at any person or persons, nor is this a homophobic story. I wanted to explore how Sasuke would feel if his son turned out to be a homosexual.

Blood Against the Midnight Snow

It happened just mere moments ago. Words were spoken that changed a relationship, a vision of the future was ruined, and a father felt immense shame at his son.

A table lay on its side with the plates laying broken and shattered on the cold wooden floor, and the silence hung over the room, the house, and most surely, the world.

In a bedroom down the hall and sister comforted her younger brother, hugging him under the covers as the young boy cried, she felt shocked, empty.

The bathroom just two doors down contained a silent weeping woman dressed in her long black nightshirt, sitting on the toilet with her legs pulled up to her chin and her long dark blue indigo hair shielding her face from the world.

The two who had been fighting were gone, but their words raced through the minds of the three left behind. The face of the angry and disgusted father spitting out the hurtful words against the face of his eldest son who tried to explain himself with calm words, neither would win.

In this fight everyone was hurt, and the words said that night would stain the memories of those were hiding from the world. Those three words that changed their lives, the words that started it all, those three tiny words…

"Father, I'm gay."


	2. Bright Yellow Rage

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Bright Yellow Rage

A large drop of gathered sweat falls swiftly of off Sasuke's face has he hits the training post with his opened hand.

Again and again and again, his anger mounts when he recalls the events of the night. His dark eyes narrow and he bares his teeth and lets out a roar or fury as his opened hand becomes a fist and connects with the defenseless and battered post. Sasuke stops for a moment when he hears the satisfying crack as the post breaks, spitting from the middle.

His body hunched over as he slightly pants. He straightens himself and looks at the sky, he wanted answers, and he _needed _them. Had he failed as a father? Was it his fault his son had turned out wrong? Was he dropped on his head too many times during their father-son training session? OR was he just born… defective?

The night sky reminded him off the dress Hinata had been wearing the night he first took notice of her, true notice. Like soft black fabric with slight, almost none at all, glitter that reflected the stars. He watched her for months on end assessing her as a partner before he noticed it he had felt something for her that was stronger then he would have liked.

But maybe it was her, was she the reason their son had turned out to be a disgusting being?

Sasuke sighed; his body was tired and as he looked around the training grounds all he saw was broken posts. He had spent the better part of the night and early morning taking his anger out on useless pieces of wood rather than dealing with this problem the only way he could.

As of now, Sasuke decided, his son was no longer part of the Uchiha and he was nothing to him.

Sasuke felt someone standing behind him and he didn't need to look to know who it was.

"Naruto, what are you doing out here?" His voice was cold, distant; he didn't want anyone around in this shameful hour.

Naruto shook his head, his short shaggy blond hair moved gently with the motion. "I know what happened Sasuke." The tall man walked closer and placed his left hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke whipped around and faced his long time friend and rival, "What do you know Naruto?" He hissed out with an undertone of mocking. "You know nothing, you have never known anything in your pathetic life, you fool!"

Naruto looked away with a slightly hurt look on his face, "Sasuke, I know well enough. I know many things, like the fact that this is the place you come whenever you are angry. I know you shouldn't have left your family the way you did. I know about Takeshi."

Without warning anger bubbled inside of Sasuke at the mention of his son's name. His pupil turned to splits as he seethed, "Never. Say. That. Name. Again." Sasuke's fist went flew towards Naruto's face and connected with his jaw.

Naruto's bright blue eyes watched as his friend raised his fist to hit him again. He stood there and let it happen.

His bright eyes caught Sasuke's almost black ones and Sasuke caught himself just before his fist hit Naruto again.

"What would you do Nar-u-to?" Sasuke mockingly asked. "Would you be _ok _with it? Would _you_ be completely fine if _your_ daughter told you she was freak?" Sasuke spat out the words slowly watching Naruto's face carefully.

Naruto ran his large hand through his shaggy hair and looked at the ground for a moment before smiling a tiny, almost unnoticeable, smile. "Sasuke, even if Sushi told me she was," Naruto saw Sasuke cringe slightly, "_Different _I would feel the same. I do not deny that it would be hard, but I want her to be happy. Sasuke, I _need _her to be happy. She's my baby girl, and if my baby girl likes other peoples… baby girl's then that is ok."

Sasuke looked at Naruto like he was crazy, "You know what you just said don't you?"

"The whole baby girl thing?" Sasuke nodded silently, "I know it's sounded creepy." Naruto let out a little laugh, "But it's true you know."

Sasuke ran his hand through his sweaty damp hair, dislodging it from the sides of his face. He looked at Naruto, this man was so many things, and Naruto was a leader, a father, a trainer, a protector, and a friend. He had never steered him wrong.

"I can't Naruto. I have him in my family. I can't look at him, think about him. I don't want him around." Sasuke shook his head.

"Say Naruto?" Naruto looked at his best friend, "Why do look like crap?"

Naruto laughed, "It's four in the morning Sasuke, and I've been signing papers all night."

There was silence between them. It wasn't uncomfortable but there were words that needed to be said and Naruto was going to say them.

"You will never forgive yourself Sasuke. If something happens to Takeshi, you will never be able to forgive yourself, and I don't think your family will be able to either." Naruto sighed, "Go home my friend. Check on your children, check on your wife, and then make sure you look in the mirror and check on yourself."

Naruto turned and made his way home, looking forward to the dinner that his beautiful Sakura had made and placed in the fridge for him when he got home.

He truly hoped that Sasuke would see past his son's sexual orientation before he loses everything once again.

Sasuke returned home as the sky started to show the first specks of dawn. He was welcomed by the remains of his fight with his son. The table he had tossed, the plates that broke…

"_It's nothing special, just some rice and fish." A beaming fifteen year old beamed at her father, her black hair styled like her mother's when she was younger. Today was the first time she had cooked for the family with no extra help from anyone, everyone was nervous._

"_It looks lovely my dear," His wife spoke first with a kind smile towards their daughter, "May I ask what this is?" She enquired looking at the black topping on the fish._

_Katsu smiled and blushed slightly, "W-Well the fish got stuck to the pan so I had to scrape it off." Her eyes widen and she slammed her hands on to the table, "B-But it should still taste fine!" She knew that it sounded as though she was pleading but that was because, well, she was. _

_Takeshi winked at her from across the table and dug his fork into the fish and taking a piece, lifting it to his mouth Sasuke was suddenly reminded at how much he was reminded of his big brother. He was proud of all his children but Sasuke glad that they had a big brother to look up to like he did. _

_Smacking his lips together Takeshi smiled, "It's fantastic Katsu, the fish was… cooked all the way through and the rice was cooked just enough but not too much, it's still crunchy." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, was he giving her an award or was he warning everyone?_

"_And the black stuff makes my stomach rumble… in a good way." Sasuke looked at Hinata and they both silently agreed, Takeshi was warning them. _

"_Really? Thank you so much Takeshi!" Katsu gave him a hug before returning to the kitchen to clean everything before it 'melted'._

_The youngest, who had sat silently beside his older brother, had picked up his fork and gone to eat some fish, "Taro, don't! It's poison." _

_Within seconds of Katsu leaving the room Sasuke had thrown the food into a small bin and rushed it outside so his daughter wouldn't found out. _

_It was when they were having their weekly family discussion and Sasuke had brought up marriage that things suddenly changed. _

"_Takeshi, have you thought anymore about what I said before?" Sasuke eyed his son, he knew that he didn't want to be married at a young age but as a shinobi there was no telling when they would be killed. It was better to have children young then not have children at all. _

"_Father, I do not want to be married. I thought about it and I've settled on no." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. _

"_You don't know what you want. You're too young to know what you want. You need to continue the family line as the heir it's your duty!"_

_Hinata looked worried and Katsu held onto Taro's small hand, there was something different about tonight's meeting, it held danger._

"_You're right father! I _am _young! Too young to know what I want am I? Then I should be too young to be married." Takeshi held his ground not letting his father get his way._

_Sasuke narrowed his eyes and Hinata looked at her Katsu and her little Taro, "Go to your room, I'll come get you when this is over." Katsu wasted no time in getting up and walking out while her younger brother followed her. _

"_You have no say! You are in _my _house, you are _my _son and you will do as I command!" Sasuke harshly whispered. "You will marry Lady Uta, and you will give us a child to continue the line!"_

_Takeshi stood up causing the table to scrape against the floor, "I will not! And if that if how you feel, that your children are nothing but playthings, then I should just go." Sasuke jumped up mere seconds before Hinata._

"_Takeshi, please don't, your father doesn't think about you like a plaything. You are his child, my child. Don't go." Hinata's voice was one of begging and shock. There had never been a meeting like this one and it had started scaring her. _

"_Hinata, stay out of this." Sasuke ordered, Hinata had never been spoken to in such a way from Sasuke before. _

_Takeshi jumped to her defense, "Don't speak to her like that! You can't make me marry someone, you can't speak to her like that, and you can't just do as you please." Takeshi stood with his fists balled up tightly, ready to defend himself if needed. _

_Sasuke stood across from him, he was taller, stronger than his son, his arms crossed over her front in a smug way, "You don't think I can make you do things? I've made you do things you're whole life, I've given you bed times, chores, rules to follow. And you've done them, and you will do this. You will marry Lady Uta."_

"_I will not, I cannot!"_

"_Give me one good reason, boy, just one and I'll it off." Sasuke had no idea what was about to happen, what can of worms were going to be spilled, how his life would be changed._

"_Father, I'm gay." The words were soft, he almost didn't catch them._

_His jaw clenched, Hinata gasped, a side look showed her with her soft lilac eyes wide and her soft hand covering her mouth._

"_Say that again, I didn't quite hear you, did you say you're a… a fag?" Sasuke started to seethe, the proud he felt for his son was ruined._

_Takeshi's eyes widen, "W-What? Why would you call me that?"_

"_DID I HEAR RIGHT?"_

"_Yes, yes you heard right." His voice became so small against his father loud booming voice. _

_There was silence, Takeshi started to fear. _

"_Takeshi, are you sure?" His mother's sweet voice caught him off guard, "Yes mother, very sure." She smiled, he knew it would be a lot to take in but she would come around, his father on the other hand…_

_It happened out of nowhere; Sasuke roared and threw the table against the wall scaring both Takeshi and Hinata._

"_You are the lowest, most disgusting thing that had ever happened to this family! You. Get. Out!" _

"_Sasuke! Stop it, he's our son-" _

"_No Hinata, we have one son, one daughter. That is all, this…" Sasuke glanced over his former son in front of him and sneered, "This freak is not a part of our family."_

_Tears fell from Hinata's crestfallen face, "Sasuke, please don't, please."_

"_No," Takeshi looked at his mother, "I should go."_

"_Takeshi, please don't." Hinata went to reach out to her first born but was cut off by Sasuke. _

"_NO! Hinata, this, this…_intruder _must leave before I remove him myself."_

_Takeshi left, but before he left the compound he ripped the Uchiha symbol off his shirt and threw it to the ground._

Anger still bubbled inside of him; he was only doing what had to be done. The Uchiha are superior to all other clans, they cannot have someone like Takeshi running around making eyes at other males.

Sasuke walked down the hall, his footsteps unheard and slid open the door to his daughter's room. There in the large bed lay his beautiful daughter, who looked very much like her mother with her pale lilac eyes, and his son, his only son. Taro was asleep next to Katsu, hugging her tightly.

Had he scared them that much?

Sasuke shook those thoughts out of his head; no he was doing the right thing.

He slid open the door to his and Hinata's room, the bed was still made, the curtains were still open, the sun had peaked and started to make its way into the sky. But where was his beloved?

He listened intently and it wasn't long before he could hear her soft little snores. Following the sound he entered the room of her choice, and there in the bath laid his wife.

She had gotten older, true, they had married young at the age of just 17, and she had given him a child, a defective child, just two years later. And then again three years later and their final child was born when Katsu was seven.

She had kept her thin frame, and her breast were still as pleasurable as ever, her dark indigo hair was at shoulder length and he loved running his hair through it, her smile was still captivating and her lips just soft to kiss.

She was still the siren she was when they were younger, and she still didn't know it.

He had aged more than her, scars on his back and his chest, a small scar just above his right eyebrow from a close attack from a Cloud ninja, he was saved by Shikamaru, who suffered a large bloody wound that scarred badly along his arm.

His hair was shaggy and loose, and his eyes were darker but softer. His large hands were rough against her smooth ones. They were so different but he loved her. He couldn't help it. And he was glad.

But he couldn't do anything about Takeshi. There was no such thing as a gay Uchiha.


	3. Sushi on the Floor

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, put my story in their favorites' list, or place my story on alert.

Sushi on the Floor

The moon was high and the dark sky provided Takeshi with a cover in which he used to express himself. His father's cruel words racing through his mind as he slide down the side of an alley wall, his knees to his chest as silent tears of shame fell swiftly from his dark eyes.

No one was out at this time of night, aside a few guard shinobi who were doing the night patrol. Takeshi shook his head. He needed a place for tonight, just one night. And then tomorrow he will go back home and recover some of his things. He had enough money saved up to get a cheap one bedroom apartment and pay a few weeks rent.

His mother had always made sure he put some money away from each mission and odd job he had done since he was just eight years old. Takeshi smiled; his mother was the most amazing woman he had ever known, stronger then strong and far braver then anyone had ever given her credit for. He had heard his Uncle Neji and Uncle Naruto talking about a time she almost died trying to save Uncle Naruto. She stood her ground.

So why did she marry Father?

Takeshi looked around the empty streets before looking down the alley way, he stepped out onto the barren street and walked towards a large house close to the woods near the outskirts of the village.

Looking up at the dark sky and seeing it glittering with stars reminded him of the story his father had told him, just once, about the night he first noticed his mother. Her dress, her smile, how her shyness and hidden strength had caused him to become curious about her, but mainly he spoke about her eyes and how he thought they looked into his soul.

Takeshi was the only one out of his sibling to hear his father's side of view. He was told when he was only four but he still remembers the words and the look on his face when he spoke about her. Yet he had never heard him declare his love for her.

Did he love her? Does he know what love is?

It wasn't long before Takeshi came upon a large house with plenty of beaten trees at the front and a cold blue stone pathway leading to the house. The curtains were closed but small rays of light leaked through.

Taking in a deep breath Takeshi knocked on the door.

There was silence, then the door slowly started to open, eyes similar to his mothers peaked through the crack before the door swung open.

A tall man with long dark brown hair tied back in a low pony tail looked at him with stoic silence before raising his eyebrow, "Takeshi, what are you doing here at this hour?"

Takeshi opened his mouth to speak but before he could a woman with warm chocolate eyes and short chestnut brown hair popped around the man with a large smile on her pretty face, "Oh my Takeshi, we weren't expecting you." Her smile faded fast after she saw his red eyes, "Oh sweetie is something wrong?"

Takeshi knew that they would find out by morning and didn't want to lie to his Aunt and Uncle, "Uncle Neji, Aunty Tenten…" Takeshi took a deep breath as both adults looked at him slightly worried, "I'm gay."

There was silence, his Uncle stared at him his gaze unmoving, his eyes unblinking, Takeshi wasn't sure if he was breathing. His Aunty Tenten looked confused for a moment, "Are you sure?" she asked in a whisper.

"Yes, yes I am. " Takeshi stood taller, almost like he was trying to puff himself up, and nodded curtly.

Tenten smiled a big smile, "Well come in Takeshi, I know it's warm out there but you don't plan on staying out there all night do you?" Takeshi smiled, his Aunt Tenten hasn't changed. Takeshi moved past his still stunned Uncle and went into the warm glow of the kitchen.

Takeshi looked at his Uncle with a bit of worry, "Umm, Aunt Tenten is Uncle Neji ok?"

Tenten simply looked back at her husband and smiled, "He's fine." After seating themselves on the kitchen chairs Tenten leaned over and whispered, "He stayed like that for over an hour the first time I told him we were having a baby. He's not really good with surprises you know." She leaned back and laughed. Takeshi couldn't help a small chuckle.

Tenten looked at her husband and back at her nephew, "Look Takeshi, whatever you are is fine with me. Your Uncle may need some adjusting but he'll be fine." Her hand rested on his arm and Takeshi took comfort in her acceptance.

"NEJI! Are you going to let every moth in the village into our home?" Tenten called to him, Neji jumped slightly and closed the door. With an expressionless face he walked towards the kitchen table and sat across from his wife and nephew.

He sat tall with his hands out in front of him, "What do you mean gay?" He asked and Takeshi heard a tiny giggle escape from his Aunt.

"I mean _gay._" Takeshi replied trying to get his Uncle to understand that he was _gay_.

Neji nodded for a second before asking, "How gay?" This time his Aunt Tenten couldn't seem to contain herself as she let out a loud laugh for moment before catching a look at her husband's serious face and stopped laughing… out loud.

Takeshi sighed, "Uncle, I like men. I do not like women. I like _men_." The fact that Takeshi said it out loud stunned his Uncle for a few moments.

Looking at his hands Neji sighed, "Your family?"

"Mother was… more accepting then father." Takeshi cringed slightly; his father had asked him to leave. Had _ordered _him to leave, he had disowned him, his own son.

"Your father?" Neji looked his nephew in the eye while Tenten placed her hand upon Takeshi's.

"He… Father had asked me to leave." They all knew that Sasuke had done no asking. Takeshi leaned closer to his Uncle, "I-I was wondering if I was able to stay the night?"

Tenten gasped, squeezing his hand, "Of course Takeshi. You are family." Her eyes held nothing but love; her eyes reminded him of his mothers. He can never forget the moment he let it out, how her eyes went from shock to disappointment to fear. But she loved him and he knew that she would be ok with it over time.

Neji stood, the chair scraping against the wooden floor, "You can stay in the spare room as long as you need it." He left the room avoiding eye contact.

The room was small but it held what it needed, a bed, a dresser, and desk. "Aunt Tenten, is Uncle Neji going to be ok?" Takeshi stood in the doorway while his Aunt made the bed up for him.

After tucking the sheet under the mattress she turned and smiled, "Oh Takeshi. Your Uncle is fine, give him a day and he'll be complaining about how your posture is bad." She laid out the quilt and set the pillows. She sat on the neatly done bed and gestured for Takeshi to join.

"Your Uncle understands you in a way. You see Takeshi, your Uncle married me." Her warm eyes suddenly became distant and sad, "He fought to marry me, to be with me. He went against everything his family held dear and he came to my side, he's never left. The Hyuuga's came after us. They were ready to brand your Uncle's forehead with a traitors brand, it was because of your Uncle Naruto that they weren't able to."

Takeshi was confused, he had never heard this before, "What do you mean?"

"Naruto had been Hokage for only two months before changing the Hyuuga tradition, before… before setting the birds free, letting them out of the cage. It was only seconds before they were about to perform the jutsu that Naruto showed up. He had gotten it outlawed. The Hyuuga Clan ignores us now only because they have too. It's because of Neji that we are together; he chose what was right for him, for us. And because of that we have two beautiful children." Tenten smiled and looked at Takeshi while gripping his hand.

"Listen to me; you cannot try to be someone that you aren't. You cannot be something you aren't. If you're gay, you're gay. And you will always have people around you that will love you." She gave him a kiss on the forehead before standing and walking to the door. "It's past midnight, you need some sleep. Today's been a big day." She turned out the light and closed the door.

He sat there in the dark processing everything he had heard. His Uncle had defied everything his had been taught and he was fine, married and had children. So why can't he? Why can't he be married with children at his Uncle's age?

He closed his eyes and imagined a life in which he raised his beautiful children with his partner, they would love each other, he would be a bit taller than Takeshi, would have shorter hair, he's have to know how to play an instrument, be good with pets.

They'd have pets. A cat, a dog, maybe a pond in the backyard with some fish and ducks…

The children would have dark black hair and his eyes…. maybe hazel would be nice, and they would listen to their parents. Every night they'd ask for us to read them a bedtime story and we would, we'd act out different voices and the kids would laugh.

A life like that, why can't he have one?

Takeshi could feel himself starting to disappear into the blissfulness of sleep and for a few hours, he had that life.

A Few Years Earlier

"Throw it here you ass!" A young girl yelled at her friend, she was tall for her age with bright green eyes and blonde hair with pink undertones. She was wearing an orange jacket that was smudged with mud and shorts that were torn. She was jumping up and down hoping her friend would obey her wish.

Her friend held the ball, he was shorter then her but only barely, he had spiky dark blue hair and hazel eyes. He wore long baggy pants that had been torn during the game and his shirt was roughed with small holes, "You'll get your turn, let Takeshi have a try!"

Takeshi sat on the damp log watching his friends, for him the idea of tearing his clothes or getting them dirty wasn't his idea of fun. He didn't want his parents to have to buy new ones.

The blonde haired girl bounded over to him her bright eyes almost glowing, "Come on Takeshi! Are you going to play?" He eyed her clothing and clenched his jaw, "Ok ok, all I have to do is get that ball into that hoop?" He knew the rules already but he knew how much she loved showing off.

"Well yes. But the ball isn't allowed to bounce off the ring and you have to choose a spot to throw it from, it has to be more than 100 meters away ok? If you fail then you have to go a dare that is picked by your friends… us!" She swept her hand around the muddy area showing only her and the boy with the ball.

He sighed, "Ok ok, Akemi throw the ball to me." Akemi had been one of his best friends since he started school.

Akemi nodded and smirked, he threw the ball with a force but Takeshi was a Uchiha so naturally he was able to catch it. "Where are you throwing from, Takeshi?" Akemi asked.

Takeshi stood his ground, "From right here of course." Akemi looked at him, "That's more than 300meters from the hoop!"

"I know that, but I can make it because-"

"Because I'm a Uchiha…" Takeshi looked at his two friends, who spoke the words together.

"You've said it a lot." Akemi whispered, he looked at the girl as Takeshi started to straighten up, "What do you think Sushi? Will he make it?" Takeshi glared at them through the corner of his eye.

Sushi smiled, "Of course he will, he's a Uchiha." Takeshi ignored them and through the ball and watched as it fell flawlessly through the hoop.

"I am a Uchiha, Uchiha's are foolish, and we don't do things unless we know we can do them." Takeshi flipped his long black hair over his shoulder and sat down on the log.

Sushi giggled as Akemi stared at the hoop. "That was well played my friend." Akemi said.

They sat for awhile talking like always, Takeshi and Sushi would take about work, Akemi wasn't a ninja but he loved to hear about their missions and would often talk about his own school.

"It's boring really; we have to do so much work." Akemi complained, "If I was a ninja I'd be able to beat you both."

"You would not!" Sushi exclaimed loudly, "I'm the strongest there is!"

Takeshi scoffed, "Please I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back."

Akemi laughed, "You two are the same you know?" He paused for a moment and looked at his watch, "Sushi weren't you meant to be home at 6pm?" Her bright green eyes looked at him, "Yeah why?"

"Because it's almost 6pm." Her eyes widen and she grabbed his left arm, closely looking at the watch it read 5:52pm.

"Oh God mum is going to freak out. I said I be home by six to sing Happy Birthday to Jiro, I'm 13 and been treated like a child. I got to go guys. Takeshi I'll see you in class tomorrow, Akemi I'll see you here tomorrow." She glared at him in a playful way, "And we'll see who win king of the hoop!"

It wasn't long after their friend had left that it started to drizzle, "You need to be home soon?" Akemi asked Takeshi, he shook his head, "No, not for an hour. You?" "Nah, same as you."

"I found some tunnels the other day want to see?" Takeshi didn't really want to; it would be muddy down there from yesterday's rain, "Sure why not."

It wasn't a long walk but by the time they had gotten to the tunnels the rain had stopped, hopefully until they had both gotten home. "Come on Takeshi, they are so cool!" Akemi slide down the slippery sides of the tunnel, he held out his hand to Takeshi. His oval face and smiling smirk as he held out his hand made Takeshi wonder if he should be doing this, but Akemi's eyes held so much wonder and excitement Takeshi didn't want to say no.

He took Akemi's hand and his heart skipped a beat and his face felt warm.

Standing at the entrance to the tunnels Takeshi saw nothing but darkness.

"Are you sure we're allowed here?" He asked looking at Akemi's confident face caused him to feel a little sick in the stomach.

"No one has used these in years, step inside, and come on." Akemi took a few steps inside before turning around, "_come on _Takeshi."

Takeshi took no more than three steps before rain came bucketing down, it was heavy and Takeshi was shocked for a second but then suddenly something else over took him when Akemi spoke, "Looks like we'll have to stay here for a bit." His heart pounding and he felt like vomiting.

It was freezing; Takeshi saw the first few flakes of snow, the first snow of the season. Out of nowhere warm arms wrapped themselves around him, a warm body behind him. Akemi muttered in his ear, "You looked cold."

His heart felt like it was going to break out of his chest, his face was burning, Takeshi had no idea what was happening, it never happened before.

"Akemi…D-Do y-you think we s-should make a run for it?" Takeshi offered, his body shivered as his friend breathed and the warmth tickled his ear.

"O-Of course… I-I was going to say the same thing." Akemi almost threw Takeshi away from him. "We'll go on three." Akemi smirked, "We'll be home in no time."

It felt like no time to Takeshi, it felt like what had happened was a dream. As he got home and told his mother not to worry, yes he'll dry off, yes he'll put his wet clothes in the hamper, yes he's have a warm shower. Takeshi locked himself in his room.

He was in wet clothes, he was freezing, but he felt like he was on fire.

Next Chapter: _the bubbles barely covered anything, he saw the tops of her breasts, the long length of her smooth legs, if there was even an inch of less water Takeshi swore he would see everything. "Want to get in?" He smiled, "Move over."_

"_Sasuke, I need you to think about what you're asking from this family." Hinata whispered, "I need you to think about us, our children, our future." "I know what you want Hinata, I can't give in. I'm not weak, I'm not going to let him come back. He can't, I've signed the papers. In a few days he will not longer be a Uchiha."_

_Then you must understand why I am doing this…" Hinata didn't hide the tears falling from her sad eyes. _


	4. Bubbles and Paper

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed or placed my story on their alert and/or favourite's list, it means a lot to me. This is my first chapter story for Naruto, not including Pay Back.

Bubbles and Paper

Takeshi let out a sigh as he breathed in the early morning hustle, the sounds of children begging their parents for candy, the sounds of hoofs hitting the ground coming from the draw mules and of course the shouting of people wanting to be served.

He had escaped his Aunt and Uncle's house while they were getting their children ready for the day, his Uncle was going to train them to fight in snow. Takeshi hadn't wanted to explain to his younger cousins why he was at their hose so early in the morning so he slipped out of the bedroom window.

Takeshi was on his way to see someone close to him, someone who had known about his sexuality before even he did. And after how his father acted he knew he needed to see her, for her to tell him it was alright, and that sooner or later his father would come around.

His father had been cruel, but maybe he was right? Maybe if he really tried he could be… normal. The same as everyone else…

It hadn't been more than 20minutes before Takeshi found himself standing in front of the large two story house, with the large village crest on the front door.

The door was opened, as always, which told Takeshi who was home because there was only one person that careless. He walked up the red stair case and towards the opened bedroom door.

"Takeshi?" A loud voice called from the ensuite bathroom, "In here." As if he couldn't have noticed that for himself.

The bathroom was warm, hot steam filled the room, small orange lights glowed against the mirror, but his interest was the person in the bath surrounded by bubbles.

The bubbles barely covered anything, he saw the tops of her breasts, the long length of her smooth legs, and if there was even an inch of less water Takeshi swore he would see everything.

"Want to get in?"

He smiled, "Move over."

Her bright green eyes watched him as he stripped himself of his clothing, folding his clothes and placing them in the corner of the bathroom.

She slide down towards the taps allowing Takeshi room to move in behind her. "Want me to wash your back?" He couldn't deny he was attracted to her, a person would be crazy if they weren't.

She sat between his legs, and leaned back into his body, his arm wrapped around her waist as he rested his chin upon her head, looking down there was no hiding her ample breast that, with every small movement, would dip into the warm water.

It had been a long time since they both felt uncomfortable been around each other naked, for them it was comforting, the touching skin had given them a feeling of being one, of not being alone, it was something they did, something they do. It was their thing.

Her wet strawberry blonde hair stuck to his chest, "How'd it go?" she whispered, her normally loud voice almost restrained to the bathroom, as if there were others on the other side of the door.

Takeshi bit his lip, "Not well. Father… He kicked me out, Sushi, he said something's… really hurtful things." Her hand rested upon the one he had around her.

"It'll be ok Takeshi. It really will." For a few moments it was silence.

"Want to wash me?" Ahh, she always knew what to say.

Takeshi grabbed the sponge and placed a small amount of body wash on it. He start with her smooth back, he did it in small circles taking care around her scars, he can remember when she got certain ones. The straight scar near her shoulder blade was just a few weeks after her 15th birthday when she was attacked by a group of Cloud nin. Her squad managed to get rid of them but she was slashed while protecting an innocent bystander.

He remembered his panic when he heard, how he rushed to by beside his best friend at the hospital, and mostly how she gloated about getting it and her mother telling her father 'Oh God, she's just like you.'

Sushi's parents loved each other; it's so easy to see it. Uncle Naruto will bring his wife flowers every Friday, Aunty Sakura always made sure her husband had food for work. They laughed and smiled, held hands in public and often Aunty Sakura and Uncle Naruto could be seen chasing each other around the village.

His parents never did that. They never held hands, they never joked around, his father never brought flowers home and though his mother would make sure his father had food it was because she had too.

Takeshi dipped the blue sponge into the water and ran it softly over Sushi's arm, just brushing against her chest causing her to shiver.

"Are you cold?" He whispered into her ear, she shook her head but stay silent.

Dipping the sponge back into the water he leaned forward and placed the sponge on her right foot, slowly bringing it upwards to the top of the knee where he would normally stop but he couldn't help thinking that maybe he could be normal.

The sponge sat on her knee before he drew it down her thigh, his heart beat hard then a jack hammer, he went down stopping after he felt her legs twitch, he was enjoying this slightly and wanted to draw it out if only for a little bit longer.

He left go of her waist, moving her hand that was laying on his, as he started to wash her neck, dipping the sponge between her breasts, he felt her rosy pink nipple stiffen as his damp wrist brushed against it.

Without warning Takeshi wrapped his arms around his friend who gasped with surprise as they emerged from the warm water. He stepped out of the bath and placed Sushi down, her green eyes wild with confusion and a hint of arousal. Her breasts heaved and for a second Takeshi wondered if he could do it. If he _should _do it.

In a second he imagined their future together. They would have a daughter with his dark hair and her green eyes, a son with her blonde hair and his dark eyes. They would live in a small comfortable house on the Uchiha compound where he'll be able to see his family every day. His father would help train his children in the snow while he and Sushi held hands in public while everyone smiled at them.

This is a future he can have.

His arms wrapped themselves around her as he lowered his pale nude lips on her cherry coloured ones. For a split moment he felt dizzy as he took in her very essence, he remembered their childhood, how she had always crushed on him until she realized, he remembered Akemi, how his friend at left the village, and it was at that moment he picked her up, just enough so her long legs would wrapped around his waist.

He carried her out of the bathroom towards her bed, gently placing her down he looked over her, he had seen her naked so many times but he had never _seen _her. Her flushed body, her legs around his waist… on movement and his future with her could be real.

Takeshi watched her body rise from the bed just slightly.

He made that move.

Outside it started raining.

**Sasuke **walked into Naruto's office.

"What's up?" Naruto asked without looking at his best friend, his desk completely covered with paper that needed to be signed, mission that needed to be approved, mission reports needing to be read…

"I want divorce papers." Naruto jumped up looking at his friend like he was insane.

"W-What but y-you and Hinata! You and Hinata?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto like he was a fool, "No you idiot, Takeshi, I need parent-child divorce papers."

"Oh good because I thought you and Hinata…What?

"Naruto I don't have time, I want this… this nightmare to be over. Give me the papers."

Naruto looked at Sasuke dumbfounded, "But Sasuke, he's your son."

"Not for long. Soon he will be no one to me."

Naruto bit his lip, "And to Hinata?"

"She will learn that I'm doing this for our family. Now give me the papers."

Naruto sighed, he had no choice, when a parent or child comes in asking for those papers he must give them. After all they must be signed by three people. the parent/parents and child in question.

"I hope for your sake Sasuke, you wake up and see what you're doing." Naruto whispered to his friend as he handed over the papers.

Sasuke took the papers, "I know what I'm doing Naruto. I have a family name to protect." He walked out of the office, slamming the door along the way.

"My friend, the name is just a word. Family are loved ones. I really hope you see what you're doing." Naruto closed his eyes for a moment before continuing with his paper work.

"AHA! Shikamaru was attacked by three children! I'm putting this in my funny pile!" He grinned.

**The house **cold, it felt like no one had lived in it for years. Like no family had spent their many happy moments in the walls of his house.

There was no Katsu, no Taro, no scent of his wife's wonderful cooking. There was nothing.

"Hinata?" Sasuke called, hoping for a response.

A door down the hall opened and Hinata walked into the dining room.

Her eyes were red from crying, her hair a mess but tied back into a bun, her eyes were sad and cold. "Sasuke." She whispered. A thud came as a shock to Sasuke causing him to notice the bags that Hinata at put down.

Was she leaving him? "What's going on Hinata. What's in those bags?" Sasuke hoped that there were rocks, heads of their enemy, new clothes, anything but the reality of what was happening.

Hinata bit her lip as tears welled up in her pupil-less eyes, "Sasuke, I need you to think about what you're asking from this family." Hinata whispered, "I need you to think about us, our children, our future"

"What are you saying Hinata?" Sasuke bit out coldly.

"Sasuke I don't want- "

"I know what you want Hinata, I can't give in. I'm not weak; I'm not going to let him come back. He can't, I've signed the papers. In a few days he will no longer be a Uchiha."

"Papers?" Hinata whispered as a tear runs down her pale cheek, "Sasuke you can't mean it!"

Sasuke grabbed his wife and held her arms tightly as another tear fell, "Hinata I can lose a million battles, I can an arm, I can even lose this compound, and I will lose that faggot child of ours. It's for the Uchiha name Hinata!" His voice was clear, cold, and deadly.

"I love Takeshi! I love him! I carried him, I felt him kick, I heard his first cry, and saw his first steps. That child is mine. That child is ours!" Hinata broke, her voice screaming at her husband, it was the first time Sasuke had ever seen this but it angered him, she was going against him.

"YOU GAVE ME A DEFECTIVE CHILD!" He yelled at her, his short nails cutting into her skin.

Hinata's eyes widened, her heart stopped if only for a second, and her walls crumbled, tears spilled non-stop and Sasuke for the first time regretted saying his thoughts out loud.

"What is the Uchiha name worth Sasuke?" Gem purple white eyes looked empty and dead glazed into his firey black ones.

"It means _everything _Hinata. Nothing is more valuable than the Uchiha name."

"Even us Sasuke? Us, your family?"

She hoped, so badly she hoped, he would answer no but when he said nothing she knew his answer.

"Then you must understand why I'm doing this." Hinata didn't hide her falling tears as she picked up her two bags and walked out into the pouring rain."

Sasuke was alone.

For the first time in 17 years the house was silent, the house was unwelcoming, and Sasuke was completely alone in it.

**They **laid there, on the plush orange floor of her bedroom, the only sound coming from the rain bashing on the roof.

He wanted someone to say thing, anything, just as long as that someone wasn't him. If someone didn't say something soon Takeshi feared that they would be frozen in time.

Thankfully they weren't as Sushi rolled her herself onto his chest. Her index finger making tiny circles near his belly button, he was not scared she wanted something, or to go again, to enjoy the feeling.

"You…" His heart froze and pounded at the same time. "You can't lie to yourself Takeshi."

Sushi moved herself up and laid on her side, staring at him as he mirrored her, her soft hand touched his cold cheek, "You are what you are. You can't chose to be gay. You can't chose to be straight. What we did was fun, but it can never happen again." Her green eyes were dull, a little sad, today they had lost a piece of their innocent friendship and they both knew it.

"You knew," Takeshi bit his bottom lip, "You knew why I… why we…"

"I do. And I'm not mad at you. I understand that it was something you needed to do."

Takeshi sat up, the orange coloured blanket falling and revealing his naked chest, "I used you. YOU! My best friend." He wanted her to be angry; he needed her to hate him. What he had done was unthinkable.

Sushi sat up, holding the blanket around her chest, "I went along with it. I should have stopped myself."

She took a breath, "Takeshi, you needed to know, to know with no possible chance of being wrong. And I would rather it be with me than some stranger who caused this great change you are feeling."

He hugged his friend. She was right. She sometimes had the brain of a bird but Sushi, she was never wrong about these things.

He didn't noticed the sadness in her eyes. Because once a upon a time she loved him, and their moment of being one wasn't just for him. _She _needed to know.

And now… now she can move on.

**The** next morning rain turned to snow and as Takeshi stood in front of his Hokage with his three comrades he hoped that this mission would be over quickly.

Soon he will be back in his village. Soon he will see his mother and siblings. But most importantly he will move on from his father. He will be stronger, faster, he will sign those papers and he will build a life. With children, with a pet or two, with his male lover.

Soon.

"_Mrs Uchiha?" "Yes?" It was Anbu, her heart pounded, she knew what was going to come was no good. "The Hokage has requested you join him as soon as possible."_

"_Hinata?" Naruto watched as the woman before him struggled to contain herself. "Hinata? It'll be ok."_

_Sasuke sat in the dining room, his words that he spoke at his father's grave still ringing in his mind. Is it a blessing? Fate? _

"_Mrs Uchiha, you should tell you husband."_

_Sasuke smirked as Hinata walked out of the compound, it was fate, it was a blessing. _

Ok so here is the math: Sasuke and Hinata are 34. They married when they were 17. Takeshi, who was born when they were 20, is 2 years old then Katsu who is 15, Taro is 8. Which makes Takeshi 17.

Sushi is 16.

Meaning of their names:

Sushi is just a nickname given to her as a baby, her real name doesn't come up yet.

Takeshi: Bamboo tree, unbending.

Katsu: Victorious.

Taro: Strong boy.

Akemi: Dawn of beauty.

Jiro: Second born male. (Which does mean that Sakura and Naruto have three children. The first born make just hasn't come up yet.)


	5. Tents and Graves Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Notes: I have a **poll going on for this story** just to see how you would like to see it end. Though I already have it planned out I would still like to see what you think. Head to my **profile page** and choose an answer.

**Tents and Graves Part 1**

**Three weeks **since Hinata had left him. Three weeks since he had seen her. The house was the last place he liked being. Christmas was coming; the joy of family and being close to each other was unlikely to happen.

Sasuke stood in front of his father's grave kicking the snow with his hands in his deep pockets.

"You remind me of when we were children you know?" A deep voice came from behind him, Sasuke didn't need to look, he knew that all he would see was blonde hair and blue eyes and an awful orange jacket.

"No I don't." Sasuke huffed.

He heard a soft chuckle from his long time friend. "Sasuke, don't you think this has gone on long enough? Admit you're wrong, talk to your son when he comes home. Talk to Hinata." Sasuke clenched his jaw.

Whipping around, his dark hair flying in his hair, "I'm not wrong Naruto. I'm right!" He seethed, "There has never been a faggot Uchiha before!" He watched as Naruto cringed as the awful word flew towards him.

Naruto sighed, his bright blue eyes looking sad and pitying, "Sasuke, Hinata is sick. She's been throwing up, crying, she's hardly able to go to work. Sakura says it's because she's so stressed."

His hand swept out in front of him, "I don't care!" Of course he did, how could he not?

A tiny smile triggered on Naruto's lips, "Yeah, yeah you do. " His large hand went through his hair, "And the kids, Sasuke, you care."

"Naruto, you don't get it do you." Fresh snow started falling from the sky and Sasuke hid deeper in his large blue black over coat. "Takeshi… is my greatest disappointment. He… the damn boy ruined _everything _I spent most of my life fixing." A noticeable trace of shame and desperation flooded into Sasuke's voice Naruto noticed.

"I did everything for that boy and he betrayed me! ME! His father!" Anger flashed in Sasuke's deep dark eyes.

"Would you have rather he suffered the rest of his life? Keep it inside him until he one day he woke up with nothing but hate for himself? And you Sasuke? Huh?"

"YES!" Sasuke huffed, his breath coming out before him in little foggy puffs, "I had dreams, I had goals Naruto! I had these… these hopes. Just like you did with Yukio!" Sasuke's heart stopped, he cursed himself. Naruto's face turned to stone, his normally kind eyes flashed with rage while his mittened fists clenched themselves.

"You're lucky Sasuke that Sakura wasn't here. I'm going to forget that, I'm just going to remember that I came here and you bitched about your son being _alive_. That you wanted your son to unhappy, that all you care about is yourself. And that maybe after everything you will a lonely old man with no friends or family." Naruto's whispered words hit Sasuke hard. "I thought you would have shown a little more respect, after all you were his Godfather."

Naruto turned and walked away, his back seeming unforgiving and cold.

Sasuke kicked at the ground, "It's all your fault, if I known what you were going to be… I would have never had you. You should have died." Sasuke kicked the snow once again before leaving.

A part of him badly hoping that no spirits heard him.

**He can't see, something around his** eyes holds them shut tight. But he could feel. The damp frozen floor against his naked legs, the barbed wire cutting into him with every small movement, the blood trickling from his pin prick wounds. The feeling of darkness surrounded him like a cold wet blanket seeping into his soul causing him to shiver.

He could smell. He could smell the metallic scent of blood, more than just his own, he could smell the wet soil that stood just inches behind the stone wall he was backed against. He could the rain and the sweet pureness of the fresh new snow. He could smell charred remains of humans, of paper, and fabrics.

He could hear. He could hear the cries of people all around him, screams from what sounded like a young child, the clanking of small metal objects against the stone floors, the drip, drip, dripping of water from a leak close to him. The whimpers, the begging, the pleas all go unheard by his captors but to him.

How did this happen? Where are his comrades? Where is he?

The screeching of a rusty metal ill fitting door scrapping against the floor cause him to cringe ever so slightly.

A deep, unfamiliar voice, filled with emptiness and almost inhuman like, called to him in the darkness, "Takeshi Uchiha. You've been summoned."

A scream echoed, bouncing off the wet walls, filling him with dread. As two more people came into the room and lifted him from his sitting position, causing the bards to puncture more deeply, Takeshi swore he wouldn't give in.

**Naruto sat behind his desk**, reviewing mission briefs, assigning missions, trying to contain and help the budget, looking over peace treaties… the desk was filled with the paperwork. Looking at the calendar Naruto had a nagging feeling that something was wrong.

"Ino, can you come in here?" A tall blonde with long swinging hair, and pastel blue eyes walked into the room.

"What Naruto?" She asked impatiently with her hand on her hip.

Naruto pouted, "Ino I know you're only helping out until Ai comes back but please address me as… Master Naruto!" Naruto smiled as he kicked back in his chair.

Ino raised an eyebrow, "You? Master? I hardly think so Naruto. "She smiled as Naruto pouted again. The two had been good friends since they were young, to her, and every one of their friends, he will always be Naruto.

He scratched his temple, "I think we were meant to be getting a mission report from Takeshi and the others a couple of days ago while they were in the land of Silk."

Ino nodded her head, "I'll see if I can find it." She had been gone for less than a few minutes when she returned. Her face a little more than worried.

"What's wrong Ino?" Naruto asked, his stomach erupted with an odd feeling of despair.

"I... I found a message from the land of Time," She paused and bit her lip, "It was sent to the wrong department, it says that the ninja's didn't arrive. The mission department sent out three ninja's to cover them and another three to look for the missing nin's."

Naruto could feel his heart beat start to pound. But Ino hadn't finished, "Those who were sent to look for them have sent a message they are returning today. It said nothing about those who were missing."

Naruto sat still, if there was one thing he had ever hated about his job… it was this.

"Ino, let me know the second they return." Ino nodded, Naruto had never looked more concerned or serious as he did now.

**Hinata held her hair back **her body felt like it was breaking. She had moved into a tiny apartment with two kids, she had been feeling unwell for weeks and wanted so badly for her son to be home.

"Hinata are you ok?" Deep pink tied up in bun, a white coat, and bright green eyes was all Hinata could see as she collapsed, her worn body hitting the cold tile floor.

"Hinata?" "Mum?" "Ms Hyuuga?" People were calling to her, and as she opened her eyes she could see Katsu and Taro laying on the couch near her bed. As she struggled to sit up Sakura appeared.

"Shh, Hinata, lay back down." There was something wrong, Hinata could tell by Sakura's glaze. Sitting herself on the bed Sakura flipped open her clipboard.

"Hinata, I have to ask… when was the last time you had sexual intercourse?"

Hinata burst into tears.


	6. Tents and Graves Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Notes: There is a **poll on my profile page**. I want to know what kind of ending you think

would be appropriate. I know how it ends, just want to see what you guys think_. Please _

_review._

**Tents and Graves part 2**

"**I see. Nothing?" **Naruto paced the room as three ninja who had been sent to look for his three missing nins, returned from searching stood in the middle of the room.

"We only found remains of their camp site, and blood that we've sent to Lady Sakura. It had been clear that there was a battle, we brought back remains of weapons that did not belong to the Leaf," The oldest of the three stood forward and spoke.

His shoulders sagged, "Thank you. I want to read everything in your de-briefing report." As the three left Ino walked in.

"What are you doing here? Weren't going to have dinner with Choji? Naruto sat down and clasped his hands together as if he was praying.

"We'll get another night; the kids are staying with a friend next week." She walked over to her friend and sat on the arm of the chair. Her arms circled around him and drew him closer to her chest.

"What am I going to say Ino?" She stroked the back of his neck, "What should I tell Hinata?"

Biting her lip Ino whispered, "Don't say anything. Not yet. Make sure first, you know? Send the Anbu. And if they fail send some more, keep sending them until they find something, until they find them."

"Yeah. I'll just keep sending them. Hinata won't have to find out."

Ino kissed him on the head, before jumping up. "It'll be ok, you know? Takeshi is strong boy."

"Go Ino, go see your husband. I know tonight is his first night back after a month."

Ino slammed her hands on her hips, "Yeah and another thing. Stop doing that. I need Choji for a good reason you know!" She smiled, a wonderful fake smile, and left the office.

Both hurting for Hinata and dreading the day it may happen to them.

"**HOW CAN THERE BE NOTHING!" **Naruto yelled at the Anbu. "There has to be something, an inking, any kind of sign, just something to tell us where team 2 is."

"No my Lord, there is nothing. The ninja hounds couldn't pick up any scent. I fear that they won't be recovered, it seems that either they disappeared into thin air or the persons responsible are far beyond a professional." The Anbu wearing a bear mask was the only one to speak.

"Far beyond a professional…" Naruto's gut wrenched, he knew what the Anbu were saying. "You think it may have been _them_?" He whispered.

"My Lord…" The sweet voice of the one wearing a wolf mask was clearly female. Her soft and silky voice swept over him in a calming fashion, how he had missed that voice. "I believe that we will not find anything at the camp site."

The tall bulky man in the tiger mask only gave a swift nod.

Naruto sunk into his large chair, his hands in front of him as if praying, "I think it is time." Naruto nodded at the man in the wolf mask, between the two there was a clear understanding.

**Hinata lay in her small bed **with her cold hand atop her budding stomach. "What am I going to do?" Tears sprung to her gem-like eyes, _'Will Sasuke even want another child?' _Even though they had talked about it, Hinata wasn't sure after if he would after Takeshi's… lifestyle choice.

A soft knock on the old dead brown door caused Hinata to jump just slightly. Her beautiful daughter, strong and proud so very much like her father, was standing there with concern evident in her eyes. "What are we going to do?" Her voice was strained, sad, and evermore worried.

Hinata sat up, her old bed creaking and bending under her, and patted the small sport beside her. "Where is Taro?" She whispered hoarsely, her voice almost gone from crying the last few days.

Sitting beside her Katsu pushed her long bangs out of her eyes, "Still asleep." There was silence, Katsu placed her hand upon her mother's arm, "What are we going to do?" she repeated.

Hinata bit her lip, "Do you want to go back?" she asked, avoiding eye contact with her daughter.

Katsu's hand squeezed her mother's arm, "This is not mine choice to make. I love Father, very much, and I love you. If you don't… that's ok and if you do go back, that's ok as well." Sometimes Hinata would be reminded of her mother when Katsu would speak. Her gentle ways of letting you know that whatever she choose, whatever kind of life she would lead, she would be supported.

It was these times the most Hinata would miss her mother.

Katsu stood up, "I want you to get some sleep tonight, ok? Something tells me tomorrow is going to be a big day." She flashed Hinata a smile and walked out of the room, her long gray track pants and night top disappearing around the corner.

Laying down once more she thought about the new life growing inside of her, the heart beat would be beating right this second. Three months down. Another six to go.

Hinata couldn't help a tiny silver tear sliding from her eye and falling onto her pillow. "If you can hear me, I want you to know that I will love you no matter what you are."

"**Where am I?" **Takeshi tried to speak; the words came out in a rasp. He had been left in a tiny cage, his legs cramped up to his shoulders, while been semi submerged in cold water. He had been left there for two… maybe three days.

His wounds from the barbed wire were starting to become infected, his body was frail but his fighting spirit was strong. Not that it would help him much.

The first and only time he had been spoken to was when he had been 'summoned', since then it was nothing. All he could hear was the water hitting the stone wall, all he could feel was the cold penetrating deep in skin and he was still blind.

No life had given itself away the last few days.

But now he was out of the water and being pressed down by two people, his shaky knees buckling under him, his face so close to the floor he could almost taste it.

"Who are you?" He asked once again.

A man grunted and pressed him down so hard his face smashed into the stone floor. The feel of blood dripping from his nose almost overwhelmed him.

Suddenly a voice appeared, and another, and another. The room his was in became alive with chatter;

Friendly chatter.

Takeshi caught a few words from many of the people who seemed to be piling into the room. "Ah, It's good to see you. I heard your son just started school."

"I saw your wife last night, whatever she's doing that makes her _that _happy tell me… maybe I can get some peace from the old woman, you know?"

"I saw the cutest guy on the way here."

"So I told the Doctor 'Yeah I know… no more fatty foods. But will it still burn when I pee?'"

Takeshi had never been more confused. Where was he? What was happening?

Suddenly there was silence before a sultry and seductive voice commanded everyone's attention. "Is the following here? Sato Matsu? Wonderful, good to see you, can't get away this time can you? Maki Nami? Uh huh. Oh, and last but not least, Uchiha Takeshi and Ito Akemi."

Takeshi's blood froze in his veins.

"The bidding shall start in 10 minutes. And remember our surgeons are on hand for a fast transfer, unless of course you want the whole package in which you can take it after it has been tagged."

Bidding, tagged, surgeons?

Akemi, could it be?

_What is going on?_

**The snow was deep, her boots starting to become damp **but Hinata continued. Her little body was rugged up in a large light blue fluffy coat that didn't suit her in the least and her legs wrapped in dark warm leggings.

She had spent the night thinking it over, and over and over some more, and finally she came to a conclusion. The young nurse she had seen earlier that day had told her with a clear voice "Mrs. Uchiha you should tell your husband. After all he's not going to think you're hiding a beach ball under there you know? Not like my stupid husband."

In just one week Christmas will come and Hinata knew that her children wanted to spend it with their father. She knew Takeshi wanted to spend it with them too. And Naruto had assured her that he would be home in time.

Coming across the main house Hinata took a deep frosty breath in and let it out in a small puff. She was never a proud person, not like her husband, but she couldn't accept his feelings over their son. Couldn't yet forgive him for blaming her for their son's choice, but she could understand him. If he had been born in the Hyuuga family he would have been outcast within seconds, and should anyone approach him they would shunned as well.

But this is _her _and while her blood will always be a Hyuuga she is grateful for getting away.

Standing at the door Hinata was unsure if she should knock or not. Biting the corner of her slightly blue lip she raised her fist and knocked gently.

And waited.

And knocked again.

And waited.

And as she went to knock again a cold voice came from behind her causing her to jump, "Hinata." Looking at him she concluded that he looked fine, though she noticed that he seemed a tad thinner than last time.

"I-I-I need to speak to you."Her face became flushed with embarrassment at her sudden stutter. Sasuke cocked his head to the side and regarded her seriously.

**She was sitting there her eyes wide with worry **while he sat across from her in the dining room, the room was silent but inside of him it was total chaos.

_Another child? What would we name him, would she want to live at the crappy apartment or come home? When is he due, do we still have the baby stuff from when Taro was born?_

"Well…" He wasn't quite sure where to start but before he could say anything more Hinata exploded, "The baby is yours!" She cried out. Sasuke was a little taken back.

"Of course it's mine Hinata. " He whispered. "You aren't the type to be unfaithful."

He paused his lips he knew that if he made a mention of Takeshi and how the spirits may have made it up to them she was likely to leave. And maybe not come back.

Looking at her he noticed her bottom lip shaking and tears starting to well up. Sasuke knew that what she needed wasn't silence, she needed to know what he wanted.

Another child. Another son. This time he'll be right.

Sasuke's dark eyes bored into her pale ones, "Another child?" He gave her a small smile, "We were talking about it before. We're having another child." Tears started to slip from her shining eyes, her face started to glow and her lips became a grin.

She looked out the window; the snow had started to fall once again, "We're having a baby." She sounded in awe.

"Well then. It would be best for you to be here." A devilish glint appeared in his eyes and Hinata who caught a glance at it blush several shades of red. "I also think we should remind the bed what it's really for."

Within seconds he had gotten around the table and picked her up out of her chair. Her legs around his waist, "B-But what about the baby?" She stuttered again, however this time it was from her husband and the fact he was attached to her neck. A very sensitive part of her neck.

"Baby will be fine, after all this is how it was created right?" Hinata couldn't argue, only because he had already gotten them to the bedroom.

_I missed you. I missed you. I missed you. _

**For the brief hour that Hinata had left Sasuke **she had never been happier. Her heart was pounding with joy, her face was flushed from their… activities… and she felt she was in the right place.

She was on her way to the apartment in order to get their items. The kids were hopefully still at their Uncles Neji's and Aunt Tenten's.

Without warning she felt a presence behind her, however it wasn't threatening, she turned only to see an Anbu in a wolf mask. "What?" she whispered.

"Mrs. Uchiha?" "Yes?" It was the Anbu, her heart pounded, she knew what was going to come was no good. "The Hokage has requested you join him as soon as possible_."_

'_Takeshi,' _Hinata's mind went into a frenzy. She knew the other two children were safe, she knew Sasuke was safe. Her sister, her friends, but her son.

Her son that was out there on a mission.

Hinata grabbed at the Anbu, "Is it my son?" She whispered with great fear. "I am unable to tell you. The Hokage has asked that you join him as soon as possible."

**Naruto had asked to see Sasuke first. **A part of him was glad that He and his son were at odds; it made his job a little easier. However Sasuke just nodded.

"He's gone Sasuke." Naruto whispered. "Just gone. We think we have an idea."

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, "Naruto for the first time in weeks I have my wife in my arms, I find out I'm having another child, and now you're giving me this news?"

Sasuke stood up. "I am not glad that he is gone. But I can't allow myself to… to…"

"To what Sasuke? To feel?" Naruto glared at him, their talks had ended in fights more and more. "Your son, _flesh and blood_, is gone and do you know what that means?"

Sasuke tipped his head up, "That this new child is the replacement?"

"What... what about the blood line? Sharingan and all that?"

Sasuke looked away ever so slightly ashamed. "He does not have it."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"As it turns out, Sharingan and the Byakugan appear to cancel each other out."

Without another word Sasuke headed for the door, "Wait! Wait Sasuke, Takeshi may be dead or dying!"

Naruto's door slammed.

Now he had to deal with Hinata.

"**Hey Uchiha, heard your son was a pillow biter." **Sasuke's left eye twitched, he knew that people had heard about the truth and now he had to deal with the disgrace his son had left behind.

Sasuke sat at his desk reading his paper work ignoring the fools around him. They laughed and jeered; they incited comments about his family and the Uchiha blood line.

A man sat down in front of him. "What do you want Kita?" The man looked at him with a strange look in his eyes. The two of them at worked together during missions and had been forced into patrolling together many times and yet the two of them never really spoke.

Kita was a tall man, standing a good few inches above Sasuke. He had short spiky honey brown hair, his hazel eyes were always changing deep inside and sometimes Sasuke would swear they were green and sometimes he would have sworn they were blue.

"I know what you're going through." He stated, his eyes glazed over and staring out into space. His voice was deep and smooth but Sasuke could hear something among his vocals.

Sasuke let out a small growl. "Say what you want to say and go Kita. Don't play games with me."

The man slowly turned his head and met Sasuke's glare with his normal soft and kind eyes, "My son is homosexual." Sasuke couldn't help his surprise showing on his face for a split second before becoming his normal stoic self.

Kita's eyes bore into him, "I found out one afternoon. Came home from a mission early." His lips tweaked into a grin, "Found a half naked kid in my kitchen." The grin fell from his face and he looked away almost ashamed.

"I told him it was ok. It was just a phase, he'd get over it. I really hoped he would."

Sasuke thought back to all the times he had ever heard Kita talk and could not remember one time he mentioned a son. He knew that Kita's wife died during a mission many years ago but he knew nothing about Kita's son.

"Made him promise he would stop doing… well you know. He changed, happy to depressed so I thought maybe he needed someone in his life. I arranged a marriage. A sweet young girl, very cute, happy as can be kind of kid you know?"

Sasuke said the only thing that could come to mind, "You never said you had a son."

A sick look flooded Kita's face, if anything Sasuke could have sworn he was going to kill himself.

"I had everything planned out. You know, he begged me not do it, told me he wasn't ready. Said he couldn't. I told him not to disappoint me. That's the worst thing a father can say. Don't disappoint me. I knew he didn't want too; I backed him into a corner. Came home from a mission late one night, couldn't find him anywhere. Thought he ran back to his old ways.

Looked everywhere and a few days later he was found. They fished his body out of the water. I was told that it was an accident." Kita looked at Sasuke and leaned forward, as if what he was about to say could destroy the world. "But I knew. I knew Uchiha. A father always knows. I backed him into a corner and left him with two options. Be unhappy for the rest of his life, or move on to the afterlife and have peace." Kita let out a heavy breath, his eyes became glassy with tears and something struck Sasuke.

"I killed my son."

"_Hinata, we will find him. I swear."_

"_Y-you swear?" Her laugh was cold and drenched in sadness, "You _swore_ that you keep my son alive. You _swore_ that he would be home in time from Christmas and you said it was a low key mission Naruto. My son could be dead! And you are sitting in your goddamn CHAIR!"_

"_You should burn in hell for what you did to him. I loved him! He was my BEST FRIEND!"_

"_Wherever I go, my family goes. I lost a lot of years because of my actions. But you, young man, you could fix everything."_

"_Akemi, what's going on? I don't understand what's happening." "Takeshi, these people aren't shinobi, they're underground, I mean Earth's crust underground." "What do you…?" "Don't you get it?"_

_Sasuke held his son, "I'm your father. I'm going to make you strong, and going to protect you." Takeshi's hand gripped his finger, "You're going to be strong. My son." Sasuke looked around, "I love you."_


	7. Full Moon Fears

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Notes: Thanks to all of you who have reviewed and let me know how much you enjoy this story. I'm hoping to finish this Story in time for Christmas.

A few of the reviews that I'd like to answer:

**Buffy-CrazyaboutAngel**: I also thought of Sasuke as a homosexual before I started shipping Sasuke and Hinata. In the next chapter I have added a little section on the infamous Naruto Sasuke kiss. In a way explain how the father and son are completely different and still almost the same. Sasuke is the type to reject homosexuality and considering he had always thought his offspring would be stronger and better it seems that having a gay son would shatter his ideal family.

**ImCutePoison**: You are correct. He is Naruto's and Sakura's child. For the two of them it's something that could not be forgotten. I hope this chapter helps to clear things up. As for Hinata and her pregnancy Sakura was at first concerned for Hinata' metal wellbeing, but there is indeed something wrong. And the Sharingan? Well we'll have to see…

**Lancelot-Albion**: Yeah, you could say that. But to be honest I don't think Sasuke will ever be completely ok with his son not fitting the image he had. And I don't think Hinata will ever be able to completely forgive him for how he treated Takeshi.

**.xXx**: Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I was hoping that it would be different from everyone else's stories, and this is my first chapter Hinata/Sasuke. If you like this one I hope you will like the other one I'm writing. Though it is different and sad. I'm going to start putting chapters up when this one finishes.

**Full Moon Fears**

_**The sun was going down; **__the sky illuminated a dusty rose that sprinkled through the trees and reflected off the falling snow. This image could never be recreated and never be fully captured by a camera. _

_At this one moment Takeshi felt the world was at peace. _

"_Should we make camp here then? Since you're busy ogling mother nature?" Takeshi was pulled back to Earth by a tall red haired, yellow eyed, older man. _

"_Let the boy relax a little bit. At our age, we rarely get to stop and smell the roses." A woman joked while poking the older man in the muscular chest, her ruby red lips and soft green eyes were enough to entice any man. Even Takeshi had thought about her late at night once or twice._

_She flicked her long waist length silver hair away from her face and went back to setting up the tent. _

"_So Baby Uchiha, heard you have a different taste then most, am I right?" the older man winked and nudged him in the ribs._

_Takeshi looked at him with wide eyes, "I-I don't know what you're talking about Yemon. I have the same taste as everyone else." Takeshi cursed his stutter, it seemed to be one of the strongest things he picked up from his mother._

_A loud laugh erupted from the man beside while a small giggle came from Ume. _

_She stood up and walked over to him, her long warm arms wrapped around his smaller body, "Takeshi, everyone knows." She pulled herself back and saw Takeshi's horrified face. "No, no Takeshi, it isn't a bad thing. We are all different. I mean you aren't any more special than another person because you like men." _

_She hugged him one more time, her breast pressing against his chest, yet he didn't feel anything inside, not many men were this lucky, "Ok, I'm going to get some wood."_

"_I got some wood for you," Yemon winked at her, Ume laughed and walked off. He turned to the younger male, "Look here Uchiha. You aren't the first shinobi to have a certain preference. I mean, I myself like women, you like men, Ume likes both." Takeshi furrowed his eyebrows, his comrade liked both sexes? _

_Yemon laughed at his confusion, "Yeah, yeah, she does. Not common knowledge, but she's my best friend you know? You know everything about them, they aren't just your comrades, they are a part of your very existence."_

_Takeshi felt his heart give a tug. Her sweet face invaded his mind, her blonde hair, her green eyes, her loud voice echoed in his mind. Her arched back when they became one. _

_He understood. Sushi was more than just his friend, or comrade. Even more than a part of his soul. She was his secret keeper, his better half, his teacher, she cut his hair, and she kept him sane and safe. She was his very being and he had done something so cruel. _

"_Anyway Baby Uchiha. Just so we're clear… I like women very, very much." Takeshi felt something hit him, did his comrade think he was going to attack him or something? _

_He looked up to see a smiling Yemon, his yellow eyes filled with laugher. Takeshi was happy that his he was accepted by his fellow shinobi, he was always comforted by the fact that he wasn't the only one in existence. _

_The sun had set, the stars twinkled and the moon sang sweet lullabies. _

_Yemon paced the ground, "she should have been back by now." Takeshi was worried as well. She had been gone for more than an hour. _

"_You go. I'll stay here. Watch camp and all." Takeshi whispered. Yemon looked at him, he was grateful, "Keep on your guard Takeshi." Takeshi looked at the moon almost trapped within the bright silver glow. _

_It wasn't even a minute that Yemon had been gone when suddenly his body froze, and he couldn't move. Three people dressed in white body suits stood around him and placed a black bag over his head. _

"That's all?"

"Yeah, that's all I remember. What about you?"

"Same thing. Well not really. I was walking around our area; I just finished teaching a late afternoon class. I was staring at the moon, something pulled me towards it. Suddenly I couldn't move. People came and threw something over my head. Woke up here."

"Stop talking!" A voice shouted at them from outside their little cells.

It was by pure chance that the two of them, Takeshi and Akemi, ended up in the same cell. At least he hoped it was by chance…

Still bound and unable to see the two of them started to whisper. At first it was surprise, Akemi was shocked to hear Takeshi's name called out. Takeshi agreed.

Akemi's voice had changed, Takeshi remembered it being soft but it seemed the years had changed it to a sweet and smooth kind of voice.

"Do you know why we are here? Who they are?" His voice was just above a whisper that tickled Takeshi's ear.

"No, I haven't a clue. How long have you been here?" Takeshi's throat felt raw from lack of water.

There was a pause, "Not sure, a few weeks I think. Every now and then they give me a finger prick and then go away."

Takeshi moved his bound hands and rubbed his finger tips together, sure enough there was what felt like a tiny scab on his right pointer finger.

"Then, do you know how longer I've been here?"

"I heard a guard say that they were bringing in a few more bodies. Maybe you were one of them? That was a few days after I got here.

"What about before, in that room?"

A chuckle came from the man across from him, "Takeshi, I'm just as clueless as you in this matter. But, is it me or were we just on Auction?"

"Yeah, I can't figure out what they'd want from us…"

"I said _shut your yapping!_"

Takeshi leaned back against the cold wall. Suddenly there was warmth as Akemi moved himself over to his old friend. Takeshi leaned his head upon Akemi's shoulder.

Suddenly screams erupted from down the hall.

"**Hinata, I know it's been a long day." **Naruto whispered to the worried woman in front of him. "I need you to know that we are doing everything we can, we have the best people out there."

Hinata sat across from her long time friend, "Naruto, what's going on? What has happened?"

Naruto gulped, "Hinata, Takeshi is missing. We looked for him. He and his comrades are gone. But we, we are looking everywhere. I… Hinata, we will find him. I swear."

Her face paled, her eyes went blank, and suddenly after a moment tears started to pool in her once happy eyes.

"Y-you swear?" Her laugh was cold and drenched in sadness, "You _swore_ that you would keep my son alive. You _swore_ that he would be home in time from Christmas and _you_ said it was a low key mission Naruto. My son could be dead! And you are sitting in your goddamn _chair_!"

Hinata picked up a book that was sitting on a shelf near his desk and tossed it at him, Naruto dodged just in time.

"Naruto, why aren't you out there? You said you had the best people, what about Kakashi, Shikamaru? Or Neji, Tenten, Ino, Sakura, Choji, Lee? Any of them?

Naruto looked away, "No. I haven't."

"Naruto," Hinata's legs trembled and gave way, her body crashing to its knees. "I-I-I..." Her hands hid her gem like eyes as tears started to fall.

"Hinata. Hinata, I'm going to call Sakura." Fear came across in waves within Naruto's voice. "Hinata don't move."

Naruto pressed a button, "Ino, I need you to call Sakura, we need a stretcher. It's Hinata."

Naruto's face was pale, as he looked at the woman sobbing on the wall. "I-I don't need Sakura. I need my son."

Naruto squatted down, "Hinata. You need help. You're bleeding."

Hinata's hands moved from her eyes and down to her legs, Naruto was right she was bleeding. A lot.

**Sasuke walked slowly in deep thought. **What shall they name their son? Will the baby have his or Hinata's eyes? Will this child carry the blood line his family was so famous for?

Suddenly Sasuke felt something whizz past him, cutting a few strands of hair and giving him a minute cut on his cheek.

He turned around, he was a little shocked about who he saw. "Sushi? Shouldn't you be training?"

The young girl glared at him hatefully. Her hands were bleeding; clearly she had been taking her anger out on a training post, her body panted and her green eyes burned holes in him.

"You! You aren't human." Her whisper drifted in the gentle breeze. "He was my _best friend_ and you destroyed him!" Sasuke could see her trying to keep her composure, not that she was doing too well.

"He wanted to be just like you."

Sasuke sneered, "I hardly doubt that. Go home." He turned his back on her, insulting her greatly.

"You _never_ loved him! You don't know how to love!" She screamed.

Suddenly he was right in front of her. Sasuke grabbed her arms and held her tightly. "Don't talk about what you don't know you foolish child." His eyes flashed and for the first time in her life Sushi was scared of him. "He was my _son_. I gave him everything I could. I trusted him to lead our family. To protect the Uchiha name. To protect everything I have built. And he turned his back on us."

Sasuke tossed her backwards and walked away. "I loved him," she whispered.

**Sakura's hand moved gently over her friends stomach **fear built up inside of her.

"Sakura, what's wrong? Is the baby…?" Hinata was worried. She couldn't lose the baby, not today.

Sakura bit her lip. "Hinata. There is a complication, something unforeseeable." Sakura took a deep breath. "The baby isn't in the uterus."

"**Watch out Nagataka!" **A young boy, no older than 10 years of age almost ran into Sasuke.

The boy looked at him and smiled, before running off to the ramen shop.

An old man stopped in front of Sasuke, "I'm sorry for my grandson. That young boy likes to believe that the world bends around him."

The old man had long grey hair and sad eyes. "You are the Uchiha right? The one with the… different son?"

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed, he had just come from the baby shop and bought a little jump suit for his son and now his good mood had gone.

"That would be me."

Sasuke went to walk off when the old man laughed, "You know, I had a son just like yours."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Your son was gay as well?" he asked with mockery.

The old man glared at him, "You're a selfish man. My son wasn't gay. But I kicked him out of the family nevertheless." The old man looked away.

"We come from a strong standing shinobi family from the Land of Water. It was expected that our sons marry shinobi women. Keep the blood strong. My youngest fell in love with a woman who was an artist. I was against it. Told him that he was no longer my son if he chooses to marry her. But he did. He left and didn't look back. He gave up being a shinobi in order to spend time with her.

"They had two children. A little girl and a small boy. That boy you saw, he was my son's youngest. I thought that he had left behind everything he had ever been taught. But when our village was attacked my eldest and I were trying to defend the people when he appeared. He died. I watched my son die, and there was nothing I could do about it." The man laughed.

"The last thing I ever said to him was 'If you walk out that door, you are dead to me.' I didn't just lose him; I lost his brother, and one of my grandchildren. A child that carried my blood, a child who I never met."

"Wherever I go, my family goes. I lost a lot of years because of my actions. But you, young man, you could fix everything." The old man patted Sasuke on the shoulder and walked off.

Sasuke was left standing there in the street, "I did the right thing." He whispered to himself.

"**Which one of you is Akemi?" **A rough voice broke through the screaming. There are been people crying, screaming, and the sounds of surgical tools buzzing through the night.

Takeshi stiffened. He was about to say that it was himself but Akemi beat him to it. "It's me."

The doors were opened, "Come on."

"Wait! No! Who are you? What are you doing?" Takeshi tried to break free but suddenly felt a burning red stinging on his cheek, the man had just back handed him.

"Stay down boy."

"Takeshi I'll be fine."

**Finally he was home. **Sasuke placed the baby clothes in the master bedroom. Something caught his eye.

It was a picture of Hinata and Takeshi just an hour after she had given birth. Sasuke couldn't help a tiny smile form on his lips. He picked up the photo and suddenly the old man's words came back to him.

'_You can fix everything.'_

Sasuke closed his eyes for a second.

_His son. He had a boy. His first born. The heir to the Uchiha name…_

_Was a pink screaming bundle in an incubator._

_Sasuke's heart was beating wildly, he was completely in awe. Did all babies come in this size? _

"_Sasuke? Is everything alright?" His wife's weak voice caused him to crash to Earth. "Of course," He whispered, still amazed at the baby in front of him. _

_Hinata smiled and her eyes closed, she needed rest. Sasuke picked up the baby, his baby, slowly. He was worried that if he moved too fast he would break him. _

_His hands looked large compared to his tiny ones. Putting his son on his chest the baby stopped crying. _

"_So," Sasuke whispered, "Your mother and I were thinking… your name should be Takeshi." The baby closed his dark blue eyes. _

_Sasuke sat down in the chair next to Hinata's bed and held his son, "Takeshi is a nice name right? It means Unbending bamboo tree. You're going to be strong." _

_Takeshi's tiny fingers grabbed onto Sasuke pointer finger. "You've got a good grip on you already." _

_Sasuke looked around, "I love you, I do. I may not say it. But I want you to know that no matter what you do I'll stand by you and protect you. My son." Sasuke kissed his son on his forehead as the boy started to fall asleep._

Holding the photo Sasuke remembered his promise, "I lied to you." He whispered.

He felt a tug at his heart. His son. His _son_. Was out there. Takeshi would still be alive, he knew it.

**The doors opened once more. **"Get in there." The guard growled. Takeshi heard a body hit the ground.

"Akemi?" He worried, scared even.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

It didn't ease Takeshi's worries, "What did they want?"

"I'm not sure. But I did find out who they are and may want they want."

Takeshi noticed a difference in Akemi's words, "Why? What?"

"They want us." Akemi whispered.

"Akemi, what's going on? I don't understand what's happening." "Takeshi, these people aren't shinobi, they're underground, and I mean Earth's crust underground."

"What do you…?"

"Don't you get it? These people are Farmers. They go by the name of…"

**Sushi slumped against her bedroom **wall. Tears poured continually out of her beautiful eyes. There was no one home, everyone had somewhere to be, someone to be with. But not her.

She had lost her best friend. It was her fault; she had told him that he should come out. She had wanted him to spend the night with her, she was the selfish one.

Her body shook with her sobs.

She was never meant to be happy. It was her fault. It was always her fault.

_Daddy I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I let go. I thought he was behind me. Daddy?_

"_Hinata I believe that your best chance of survival would be to terminate."_

"_Naruto I want to know everything. Who do you think took my son?"_

"_Takeshi Uchiha? Well this is interesting! A Uchiha without a Sharingan. Like a kitty without claws. We need you. Well parts of you anyway."_

_Naruto stood in front of the grave. His son wasn't there, just a decomposed body. "I wanted to wish you a happy New Year." He sat down, "Soba noodles?" He smiled. _


	8. Bright Blood in Blonde Hair

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Imperial_Dragon:** Yes, Sasuke is indeed starting to understand. However I don't think his 'logical reasoning' is about to let him go save Takeshi. In fact, because Sasuke is the type of person who believes thinking with the heart is a weakness. I reckon he's going to have a hard time battling with himself.

**Inksprout**: Thanks for your awesome review. I'm glad you're enjoying my story. I thought about leaving the side stories out but find that it was almost impossible. The side stories will all tie into the ending, and hopefully no holes will be noticed. I hope I don't disappoint in future chapters ^_^

**Guess who just turned 20 years old? That's right, on the 27****th**** I turned old!**

Notes: Due to the oddly large amount of PMs I feel that I should let you all know that **I am not homosexual **but like many people feel sexual attraction to the same sex. I always wondered how my parents would feel should I go into a same sex relationship. My mother told me that as long as I didn't show any PDA in front of her she would be ok. My Dad has yet to comment but I should think he'd be fine.

**Bright Blood in Blonde Hair**

**Hinata looked** up at her friend with the utmost fear.

Sakura watched as her large eyes began to water, her mind spinning with what she had just said.

"W-What are you saying? S-Sakura… what?" Her voice came out strangled and breathless.

Sakura bit her pale rose lips and glanced to the left. Her hands shook as she picked up Hinata's chart.

The room was silent. The curtains drifted in the breeze making a little 'click' sound whenever they touched the wall, the clock across from the bed ticked and tocked every second. The people in the halls laughed and coughed and sneezed. Someone dropped something metal on the cold tiled floor and the sound echoed, bashing against the white blinding walls and making its way to their ears.

She was buying time. Sakura had sent a young hospital worker to find Sasuke. This was not news that one should hear alone.

"Um, Hinata… this is your third trip to the hospital in six months." Sakura whispered, a bead of sweat trailed from her temple and down her cheek. She licked her suddenly dry lips.

Her friends face was void of any colour. She laid there on the propped up bed, silent and unmoving, her eyes now fixed on the wall across from her. Her eyes, her skin, her almost white lips, unmoving and silent; just like a doll Sakura noticed. A lifeless doll.

"You were in here the first time because you, um, were injured on a mission?" A low class mission nevertheless. She had just been escorting some exchange students back to their land when the attack had occurred. 7:3 was not a fair fight.

Sakura's heart thumped, she closed her eyes for a split second and almost jumped when Hinata spoke.

"Did I lose the baby?" Her words were spoken with so much heartache that they hurt Sakura. Her friend was in pain and yet at this moment she could do nothing.

This baby was the first good thing to happen to her and she…

Sakura was about to speak when the familiar sound of heavy footsteps turned towards their room.

Whipping her head around, causing a few pink strands of hair to come loose in her bun, "Sasuke. Please have a seat."

She watched his eyes focus on his wife, for the first time in a long time Sakura had notice the fear that hid itself well behind the stoic facade.

A fear she hadn't seen since Taro's life threatening birth. Taro had gotten stuck in the birth canal and had almost died. If it hadn't have been for the last minute surgery Sasuke's youngest might not have made it, nor would his wife.

Sasuke sat down in the uncomfortable grey leather seat, his hand lay on top of Hinata's pale cold one.

"What is this about Sakura?" His eyes watched her like a tiger; any movement, anything he didn't like, and he would pounce on her and tear her apart.

"T-There…" Sakura shook her head. She was a medi-nin and these two… three… before her were not her friends they were her patients. They needed to know that whatever they choose she, as their medic, would do whatever it took to keep them safe and sound.

But she would almost tell them the news they didn't want to hear, give them options they don't want to discuss, and even perform operations on them that they hoped never to have.

She was their medic. Not their friend.

She took a deep breath.

"Your wife is having an abnormal pregnancy." Her voice clear and calm and professional, "It appears that while she is indeed pregnant the baby is not residing in her womb. After checking carefully it appears the baby is in her fallopian tube. This is called an ectopic pregnancy. "

She watched as Hinata's head whipped towards her, her shock and fear written clearly on her distraught face.

Sasuke remained on the calm side of things, "How did this happen?" He asked.

"The egg spends four to five days going down the fallopian tube towards the womb, however if the tube has been damaged in some way or form, or even if the tube is too narrow, the egg may implant itself within the tube."

Hinata's eyes watered once again, it seemed that all she did was cry these last few weeks.

"What caused this?" Sasuke asked looking Sakura clear in the eye.

"There are a number of reasons to what could have caused this. Some of those are from using fertility drugs, smoking, it increases your chances the older you get, and if you-"

"Had a caesarean." Hinata whispered. She had yet to let any tears fall and Sakura knew she was trying to hold on until they had, or rather she, had left.

Sasuke's head snapped from looking at Hinata back to Sakura, "Is this true?" he asked, his words cold and coated in poison.

"Yes." Sakura replied.

Sasuke didn't need to say more, his eyes said everything that he was holding back.

_It's your fault. You did this. _

"What should we do?" Hinata whispered, looking at Sakura. "What are the chances?"

"There are very few successful ectopic pregnancies. In 95% of all cases in which the mother had gone through with the pregnancy the baby died before being able to live outside the womb and the mother suffered from a ruptured fallopian tube."

Hinata's sad white lavender eyes looked into her lime green ones, "I'm asking as a friend Sakura. What do you think we should do?"

She had been hoping to avoid it, coming from a medic sounded professional but coming from a friend? It sounded different.

"Hinata, I believe your best chance of survival would be to terminate."

Hinata looked away while Sasuke looked hatefully at her, "It's a very minor, non invasive keyhole surgery. We make a small cut, go in and remove the egg."

There it was again.

Silence.

"The egg? Sakura, the egg is a living bundle of cells. It feels pain." A silver gleaming tear slipped down her pale cheek. "I can't give permission to 'remove' it. I can't sign anything to let you go in and kill my child before they've had a chance to survive."

Sakura bit her lip, she didn't want to say it, but it needed to be said. "Hinata, should you refuse to sign the papers at anytime during your pregnancy in which your health is in danger we will remove the egg. With or without your permission."

"And mine?" Sasuke asked, his jaw clearly clenched. "As the father, don't I have a say in this?"

"Sasuke," Hinata whispered. "No. No you don't." Sakura watched as Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.

"Understand Hinata. Going through with this is dangerous. And you will be on bed rest for the most of your pregnancy. The fetus will need to come out as soon as it is able to survive on its own."

Sakura walked out the room but stopped and turned around, she bit her lip, "Merry Christmas, by the way." Her unspoken words hung in the air, '_Please be careful.' _

Today she will go see her son. Today was his birthday. And tomorrow will mark his death, and Christmas morning.

**Takeshi was dragged out of his cell **by a large man with fat fingers gripping his wrists. He might cause bruises with his harsh grip.

He was being taken for a test.

He was hardly twenty meters away from the testing room in which he was taken and strapped to a chair. His arms and legs were freed from the rope, but tied using thick metal cuffs.

All of a sudden there was a bright blinding light that burned his eyes. Even has he shut them out of shock he could see the dancing white spots that teased him so.

They had removed his blind fold. And weeks/days in the dark had caused his eyes to become sensitive to the light. Like a blind person able to see.

"Ya became a nigh' lova, have ya boy?" A rough, uneducated voice spoke to him from his side, his laugh boomed through the bright room sending chills up his spine. "W'll ya mightn have ta worry bout th't soon. I's he'rd ya's ben pa'd for."

"Paid for?" He asked, his voice raw from lack of water, he blinked several more times, his eyes slowly becoming used to the light once more.

The room was bigger than he had expected. On the left of his a tall large bearded man stood, his deep red hair dirty and matted, his skin filthy, and his brown small eyes dull and sick looking. His long blue shirt was ripped and torn, blood stained the shirt with small splatters in his baggy brown pants.

Behind the man was a dirty bed, small blood stains littered it telling Takeshi that they don't care much for cleanliness. An IV machine, large amounts of needles and a hospital gown were all together.

On his right he noticed a young, beautiful woman, with shoulder length dark blue hair and light blue eyes. She was clean, wearing a white medic coat, a black pencil skirt and red heels.

There were many objects he had never seen before. Things that you were more likely to find in a torture chamber then in a hospital area or in a normal house, well… not at his home anyway but still…

There was vials filled with blood, all clearly labeled, a wall with numerous knifes and what looked like a nut cracker…

Her light blue eyes caught his dark ones, "Don't fret young one." She smiled and Takeshi could see it. Behind her pretty looks and young age she was cold, she was a killer. But not just any kind. She enjoyed it like a sport, watched her prey, starved them, torment them, break them, and sell them. She liked them trapped and scared.

Her voice was clear and he remembered who she was.

He glared at her, "You're the one who was selling us." He said.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You remember me?" She giggled the sound so sweet that it made his stomach turn, "How very thoughtful of you." She slandered towards him, her heels clicking with each step.

"C'n I's go no Mis?" The large man asked. She didn't take her eyes off of Takeshi, "Yes, yes go you fat slob." She said in a kind voice, "please change your shirt before you come back." Her eyes became a cold blue as she looked up to the man, "Otherwise I'll take another finger." She sweetly said.

Takeshi didn't take his eyes off the predator in front of him but the heavy steps he heard told him that the man was scared but also unhappy. The quick shuffle and the heaviness always gave emotions away.

Her eyes were back on him, her bloodlust and insanity so clear that it burned into his mind. One of her long soft fingers trailed down his face from his temple to his chin. Clean nail polished made the short nail shine in the light.

"My you are a handsome one. You and your cellmate." Her eyes lit up with joy and she smiled, "How lucky of me. All the pretty boys I want."

She gripped his jaw in her hand in a swift motion, her nails dug into his skin, cutting it and causing him to bleed. "But we're not here to talk are we? Oh no, no, no, no. My sweet. My love. We're here for _you_."

She turned and went over to the stack of needles, returning with an empty vial and a large thick needle, that didn't seem to have been used before, well he hoped it hadn't been used before…

She stood close enough for him to be able to breathe in her deep rich scent. She smelled like blood and death but something more powerful overwhelmed them, the sterile coolness that could be smelled in hospitals. There was also dirt and grass. The scent confused him greatly.

He felt the coldness of the thick needle that pressed against his dirty skin. They're eyes stayed connected as she slowly pressed it in to his arm, he couldn't help a flicker of pain as she pulled the blood out.

Takeshi knew she saw it. Her eye lit up in a dark feral way that showed him the real her.

He couldn't help but want to strangle her. Those eyes and her sick sadistic smile on her pretty lips caused his mind to whirl with fury.

She had filled the tube of blood but left the needle hanging there.

"You think you're strong. You think you should have better than this. You think someone will save you." She whispered her poisoned words to him.

He felt nothing, said nothing.

"I want you to know they won't."She giggled in a childish way, like she just told someone she had a crush on them.

"No one will find you. No one will ever find you. You will never get out. You will never be able to leave here." She grabbed the needle and pushed it in deeper, probing his veins. He grunted from the pain and she gave him a sad smile that hid something wicked behind it.

"You will never leave here _alive_." She whispered cruelly.

"You," He hissed, his pain turning to anger quickly, "I will kill you one day." His eyes narrowed at her, his anger locked with her wickedness.

A moment was paused before she threw her head back and laughed heartily, like he told her the funniest joke ever.

She suddenly stopped and looked at him, she pulled the needle out slowly, something in her eyes scared Takeshi. Like she was building in excitement.

She bit her lip and told him, "You will never leave here in one piece. And if you should, you won't be able to harm even a fly."

She angered him insanely, "you think you'll win?" He hissed, "I think that you will lose. I'll burn your body if I have to. I'll tie you down," Her eyes got wider and brighter, "And I'll watch as you scream and cry and beg. But I won't he-"

He gasped.

Suddenly his mind went blank, but not before he heard her speak one last time.

"Oh shit."

**She sat there, looking over **his limp body hunched over, the blood trickling from the wound she created in his chest. She sighed, "Well if you hadn't have gotten me so excited." She whispered to him. She had just stabbed him in the chest with the needle in her excitement.

Getting up she pulled out the needle and looked at it. "I'm very pleased with this. You have a nice dark blood." She watched the blood in the tube mesmerized by it, "Well I guess I should heal you."

She bit her lip but couldn't help but laugh out loud, her cold shrill laughter bounced off the walls, "I can't believe it Takeshi Uchiha? Well this is interesting! A Uchiha without a Sharingan. Like a kitty without claws. We need you. Well parts of you anyway." She smirked at the near dead body.

Pushing the head up she planted a hard kiss, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. "I think I'll keep you for myself, just for a bit longer. There is so much I want to learn." Placing her hands upon his wounded chest she healed him. "After all… how often does a Uchiha Hyuuga hybrid just fall into your lap?"

**Christmas came and **Hinata stayed on bed rest, doing as little as possible, Sasuke had moved the Christmas tree into their bedroom so she wouldn't have had to get up to join them in the living room.

Instead of meeting up with their friends in the village they… invited themselves over to the Uchiha compound.

The bright green Christmas tree covered in Katsu and Taro's decorations and brightly coloured wrapped presents sat under the tree.

Presents continued to sit under there, the labels all said the same thing '_To Takeshi_' and they will sit there until he came home.

Sasuke sat back one night and thought about it. Was there ever a time when he had been attracted to the same sex?

No. There hadn't been.

But there was that one time when Naruto had kissed him during class one day.

Sasuke couldn't help a scowl that appeared on his face. There he was in his living room sitting alone close to midnight thinking about his friend kissing him.

'_Not that it was any good. Wasn't even a kiss_.' Sasuke reasoned with himself. Though most of their classmates would say it was.

He remembered how his cheeks burned and his heart thumped.

Out of pure disgust.

Somewhere in their house a little clock ticked, something beeped, and a blue light came from Taro's nightlight.

And Sasuke sat in his black pajamas alone.

"I don't understand you." He muttered aloud. His dark eyes tired and wanting to shut, yet he kept coming back to that moment when Naruto and he touched lips.

Sasuke imagined Takeshi sitting across from him like he had done so many late nights. They would talk about training, weapons, and the Justus's they had been practicing.

He sighed, "I didn't know you at all did I?" He whispered, his dark eyes locking onto a picture of a young Takeshi holding his baby sister. "Didn't ask you how your day was, didn't ask about your friends."

Once more the kiss he shared with Naruto came to mind. Burning cheeks, thumping heart, his sudden hate for the blonde haired boy and yet the want to avoid and see him at the same time.

"Did you feel the same? Hmm?" He looked away from the picture, "Did I cause this? Ruin our family? No, couldn't have. All I tried to do was protect us."

"Protect us?" A soft whisper came from the doorway. His beautiful wife stood there in her dressing gown. "Protect us Sasuke? Or to protect the family name?"

"What are you doing up Hinata? You should stay in bed." He glared at his wife, putting herself in danger like that.

"Well? The name or the family Sasuke?"

"The family name Hinata. Go back to bed."

She nodded her head. "Ok." She turned back she stopped. She needed to say this. Her back was still turned to him, "Sasuke. There wouldn't be a family name without a family would there? Takeshi, he is family. Even without the name."

He watched her go back to bed.

"You're right, you know that." He whispered lowly. "You always are." But he couldn't tell her that. He just couldn't. "I love you."

A clock chimed in the village; it was New Year's Day.

**Naruto had managed to **get away from the crowds of people that demanded his attention on this last night of the year.

Sakura was mingling with their close friends and he saw their youngest Jiro talking to a girl, his cheeks flashing a pale pink. He didn't see Sushi anywhere, he didn't even know if she had come.

Naruto bit his lip, he was glad she didn't in a way. He loved his daughter more than life itself but during this time of the year he couldn't look at her, he didn't want to.

The guilt he felt was as vast as the ocean but he couldn't help it.

With just a few minutes to go before the start of a new year Naruto shrugged off anyone trying to get his attention. There was something more important.

He grabbed an extra bowl of the soba noodles and made his way towards the cemetery. The snow hindered him slightly but he didn't mind. There was only a half moon tonight but it was enough to light a silver path.

There on the fourth row and a few down was a grave. Wiping the snow away as if he would some food from his sons face.

_Yukio Uzumaki_

_Beloved son and brother_

_Taken too soon from this world _

_To join the other_

Naruto stood in front of the grave. His son wasn't there, just a decomposed body. "I wanted to wish you a happy New Year." He sat down, "Soba noodles?" He smiled. After ten years the tear had stopped coming but his heart broke every time he came to the grave site.

_He couldn't find them! He couldn't see either of them; he hoped that they hadn't been hurt. _

_People all around him were bleeding from deep wounds, small cuts, and head injuries. They were his people. To guide them and protect them was his job but he had failed. They had taken many people with them, people he would never be able to recover._

_He'd been looking for longer than ten minutes, the second he had heard that Sushi and Yukio weren't among those who made it to the safe place. His heart had stopped and he had acted on fear. _

_A father's fear. _

_A fear that they would be missing, hurt, captured, laying on the dirty ground dying alone. _

_He felt a bit of his fear lessen when he saw her pinkish blonde hair, but it came back in bouts of thousands when he noticed she was alone. _

_As he got closer he could see she was bleeding, her hair was covered in dry blood on the left side from a deep gash, and she sported a small cut on her neck._

_He reached her and she latched on to him, "Daddy," she cried her eyes blurred with tears and her face wet with them. "Daddy, I let go." She cried harder._

_Naruto gripped her shoulders, where was his son? "Where is he baby? Where's Yukio?" _

_Naruto watched in complete horror as she turned her head to look behind her, following her he saw a small body, unmoving._

_He didn't think much about it as he shoved his daughter out of his way, she fell to the ground cutting her hands and knees on some small shrapnel._

_Hovering over his son's tiny body he touched the bloodied cheek, completely cold. _

"_I tried Daddy." She whispered, "I really tried." _

"_Why did you let go?" He asked her coldly._

_He picked up his sons lifeless body and cradled him his blue eyes blistering with hate and burning with tears. _

_The battle, which had only just ended, had taken someone he loved. He had driven out the intruders but he hadn't won. _

_He had lost. _

"_I didn't mean to Daddy," she cried, "Daddy I'm so sorry. I let go. I thought he was behind me. Daddy?"_

_He couldn't look at her. Couldn't speak to her. And a thought blared hatefully in his mind, a thought that would cause him so much guilt in years to come, 'I wish it was her.'_

Naruto was shaken out of her memoires by the sound of a clock chiming, shouts of "Happy New Year' rang throughout the village.

Naruto noticed he wasn't alone in the grave yard, those who have lost friends and family came to share the New Year with their loved ones as well.

And as he looked around there at the end of the row was the beautiful woman he had ever seen. In her long red dress and large white winter coat, with her grass green eyes and soft pink hair.

They looked at each other and a tear slipped down her cheek, she smiled as she walked over to join him.

"Happy New Year." She whispered to him. He gave her a sad smile, "Happy New Year."

**Sushi looked out her window **in the weeks since her friend had gone missing she had changed. Her hair hangs down dully and like straw, she had circles under her once bright eyes, she had lost weight.

Takeshi was the only person, aside her mother and father, who knew what really happened that say her brother died. He kept her sane, made her happy, made her laugh.

He was her lifeline.

What will she do if he doesn't come back?

Suddenly Sushi felt the familiar felling as her gut launched. Bile welled up in her throat as she hurried to the bathroom.

Any food she had eaten that day came up and splashed into the toilet.

She cried. Her body ached, her heart felt ripped, and her soul was destroyed.

She laughed in a sad way, looking at herself in the mirror.

It hurt her more than she could ever say, her father was no doubt in a cemetery offering soba noodles to a grave stone when he could be here with her eating and talking.

She hung her head in shame, "Why don't you love me, Dad?"

"I thought I'd buy you flowers, do you like them?" She whispered in his ear. "Very much so." He answered. Takeshi knew if he wanted to live he had to play by her rules.

"You pushed me aside. You've always pushed me aside. That's why I'm leaving. This house, with the two of us in it, its poison." Sushi would not cry, she couldn't because it was the truth.

"Naruto I believe Takeshi is alive. I can't leave Hinata's side just yet."

"The room was covered in a yellow candle glow, her cheeks burned bright red and she avoided eye contact with most of the males. It made me notice her. Taro, your mother was the one person I ever cared more about than the Uchiha name. And that is why I'm doing this. Because I love her."


	9. Poisoned Walls

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Notes: I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday. Can't believe this year is coming to a close so soon!

**Inksprout: **Yeah, Sushi and Naruto have a very tense relationship. I find Naruto to be a bit of a hypocrite when he speaks about Takeshi and how Sasuke should move on form that but he can't do that with his own child. But Naruto will also learn to come to terms with the past soon.

**Poisoned Walls**

She was old enough to move out. Heck her father was living on his own since he was no older than five years old.

Her bags were packed. She carried only two of them. They only had her clothing and a few pictures, none of them had her parent's faces. There were many with her and Takeshi, her brother's, her teacher's, the ones that truly mattered.

She would leave this village her father ruled; go to one of the sub villages, where she would work, where she would learn to be happy again.

She could do it. She had to do it.

With her bags she walked down the stairs.

But Sushi wasn't alone; Naruto sat on a stool in the kitchen eating some packaged ramen. The view from the kitchen obstructed by the lounge room.

She opened the door but before she could step outside a small voice called her.

"Sushi?" Looking up the top of the stairs she saw Jiro, her sweet innocent baby brother. Even at the age of nine she called him her baby brother, he would always complain but she knew that he liked it on some level.

His large green eyes looking at his sister with confusion. "What are you doing home?" She whispered sweetly. She had hoped he wouldn't have to see her like this. Taking the first steps out of the dark past and into the bright and uncertain future. Sushi had wanted him to remember the times they played board games, or when she read to him, or scared his pants off with horror stories. She didn't want his last memory of her to be her walking away, her moving back, her goodbye.

"Are you going somewhere?" His voice was loud and confused. The question attracted her father's attention as Sushi heard his footsteps coming out from the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked looking at his daughter, taking note of the two packed bags.

Sushi ignored him, "Are you sick?" she asked her brother who shook his shaggy blonde head. "We got the day off."

Nodding her head she looked at her father, the man who was a host, who defeated one of the world's most fearsome shinobi. But to her he was none of those things.

"I'm leaving." She whispered. Her heart began to thump wildly as soon as the words slipped out of her lips. It became real. She was leaving.

The thought made her feel free, like she had finally been able to rid herself of the painful silence she had been suffering these many years.

Naruto's eyes narrowed in confusion, he ran his large rough hand through his shaggy blonde hair, and Sushi could see the likeness between her brother and her father. They even acted the same.

"Leaving? Going to a friends?" His voice started to become a little aggressive.

Her words were calm, "No." Her voice unshakeable, "I rented an apartment a little ways from here. I'm moving today."

He was angry, what person wouldn't be? She understood. "No you're not!" He tried to grab the bag in her hand but she moved just a little bit faster than he had expected.

"Jiro, I left you a book on my bed," She didn't take her eyes off the man in front of her; she didn't want her brother to see them fight.

"When were you going to tell us? What about your mother?" He asked with a slight growl.

"I thought it would be easier this way. No need for fake sadness or pretend goodbyes." She whispered.

Naruto laughed, "Easier?" He said harshly, "For whom? You? Don't be selfish."

It was her turn to laugh, a sad desperate laugh, "For all of us. I _need_ to leave."

There was a deep flash of anger in his eyes that scared her a little, "You need to leave?" He whispered, "You aren't going. It's not fair of you to go. You shouldn't be allowed."

"Why? Because it'll make me happy? Why won't you let me be happy?" Her eyes started to burn, she had kept this to herself for years, and finally she was going to free herself.

"YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE HAPPY!" Naruto's voice thundered through the house. He heaved, "You should be just as miserable as _I _felt; you should feel it every day of your life! You should _never_ be allowed to be happy!"

Burning tears slipped from her eyes before she could stop them. "I do," She whispered, "If it wasn't for Takeshi you would only have one child." Her friend was there for her when no one else was, and she couldn't be with him when he needed help the most.

His jaw clenched, "I… you're my daughter. And I care about you even though you… even though you…" He couldn't say it. Her eyes started to burn again but she couldn't, she wouldn't.

"You pushed me aside. You've always pushed me aside. That's why I'm leaving. This house, with the two of us in it, it's poison." Sushi would not cry; she couldn't because it was the truth.

"I'm sorry I wasn't as strong as you when I was young, I'm sorry that a _grown man _was able to overpower me. And I'm sorry that for a _split second_ I let go of my brother's hand." Her eyes burned into his, "I'm sorry it hurt you and mother so badly, but I'm even sorrier that it wasn't me. And I know given the choice… you would have preferred he lived instead of me."

Naruto opened his mouth and closed it without getting anything out. There was nothing he could say. The words pained him deeply and even though he had thought about it countless times he couldn't deny how he felt. She let go, it should have been her.

"I had to live with the fact that he died _because of me_ and the way you were towards me made me remember it every day. And I shouldn't have to feel like that. This house, these walls, they contain nothing but mere poison. I hate it here. I want to feel happy for once in my life."

There was a chilled silence. Naruto looked down at the ground, his eyes clouded and his expression unreadable.

"I love you Dad." Her words shook him, looking at her in surprise.

"But I can't be here anymore."

Carrying two bags, filled with clothes and pictures, and a lighter heart she stepped out onto the Welcome mat. It was snowing.

All Sushi could think was how soon for the first time since her brother died the snow will melt soon.

For the first time, she felt free.

And she loved it.

**Takeshi had no idea why she had called **him again and again and again. She had drawn blood countless times, sweet talked him, slapped him, and offered him chocolates.

She was crazy. She really was. Her pretty looks were tainted by her unstable mind. Her eyes gave away her favourite sport, her blood lust, her sexual needs, her love of giving pain and seeing her prey struggle for their life.

This was not a person to be tempered with. Every time he was taken to see her the change was clear. She would be happy or sad, her mood swings came fast and left just as swift. But her had never changed, her insanity lingered close behind her facade.

Takeshi wasn't a fool, to live is not always to be happy, to live is not always to win.

To live is to survive.

And sometimes surviving is the worst thing possible. But he needed to live. He had his family, his friends, he had to save Akemi.

But most in importantly he had Sushi.

He knew her inside and out, her fears and fantasies, he knew how she hated being alone, how she feared living.

She had survived but she didn't win her battled. He remembered holding her most nights as she cried. The nightmares she was forced to suffer and treatment by her parents. Of course they loved her but sometimes they would over look her, they would ignore her.

Sushi always believed it was her punishment.

Takeshi could only hope that should anything happen to him, she was safe.

"I like snakes." Her voice cut clear across the room. She said it in such a fond way that he wondered if she had kept them as pets. "I love to swallow their still beating hearts and wash it down with their warm blood."

Clearly not.

"There's an after taste. I can almost _taste _their soul as their heart becomes trapped in me."

"Are you wondering why I've got you here again?" She turned to face him, her eyes glittering with deep madness.

Takeshi shook his head, his unkept dark hair sweeping against his dirty cheeks. "To steal my blood… maybe drink down my soul while you're at it?"

She let out a laugh, throwing her head back and letting out a dark spine chilling laugh that chilled his blood. "Oh no. Not today. You see Takeshi, I can call you that right? When we sell a product we want to make sure the buyer is getting what he or she has paid for."

Takeshi faked a confused look, he needed her think he had no idea what was going on; he needed more information if he was to get out of here.

Her laugh was chilling, "Oh my sweet lovely boy, he paid for your eyes." Takeshi's heart stopped.

"We are doing tests to see if we can _force_ your…talents… out in one way or another."

"And… my cellmate?"

She picked up a glass and threw it across the room; it shattered upon hitting the wall. Her mood changed in a spit second and Takeshi couldn't help but jump a tiny bit. "That boy is _ungrateful_. He doesn't even _want_ to be here! He doesn't even want to be here in the same room as _me_! Can you believe that brat?"

Takeshi had to hide a smile.

"I mean, what is he here for?"

Her eyes narrowed at him, "Why do you want to know?"

"W-Well, it's just that he's been here just as long as me…"

"No he hasn't." Her voice was intertwined with confusion. "He's been here for almost a year."

Takeshi felt a stab of fear, had he been lied to?

"Although, I guess it would feel like a much shorter time than that… he was submerged for awhile…"

"Submerged?"

Suddenly her demeanor changed, "Are you pumping me for information? Don't think I'll tell you anymore than that my little love."

Her face cleared and she smiled. Opening up one of the large drawers she pulled out a large bunch of white roses. She walked over to him and leaned over.

"I thought I'd buy you flowers, do you like them?" She whispered in his ear. "Very much so." He answered. Takeshi knew if he wanted to live he had to play by her rules.

And then soon… if he did this right, she'll end up playing by his.

**Sasuke had no idea how it happened, how he came to be **sitting alone on the front porch. The moon lighting the stone cold walls around the Uchiha compound gave it an eerie feel.

This place had been left to him by his parents; he had done everything to restore it, to rid the blood from the dirt, to ensure that there were no markings left behind from the old battles. To make it a home for his wife and their kids, to make sure they felt safe.

The glow from the illuminant moon caused Sasuke to fall back into memories.

_A well fitted tux, a scowl paced upon his handsome face caused him to stand out from others. It was a ball to form unifications between villages. _

_The women batted their eyelashes at him, smirked with perfected skill in order to lure men to their beds, it made him sick. They walked around in long dresses with high cut slits and low fronts. Like snakes they bared all before they bite. _

_The large hall covered in a golden glow caused from the well placed candles and lights. _

_His friends, a term he would use loosely at the time, walked around with their dancing partners all but one._

_His eyes were drawn to her as she shyly walked down the red carpeted stairs. Her hands clutched together tightly, her cheeks a blistering red as she tried to hide herself under her long thick dark purple bangs. _

_Her black dress a flowed to the floor, it wasn't hugging her figure in an alluring way like many women there, but it did hug her naturally. Her cleavage wasn't exposed and her dress had no splits. _

_It was a very simple and plain dress that caused her to become a woman in his eyes. _

_She wasn't cute or sexy. She was beautiful and stunning. She was a complete classic, an undiscovered jewel, a diamond in the rough._

_Sasuke watched as men swarmed around her like vultures picking at live prey. And he watched as she turned them away one by one._

_She didn't know it but the moment he saw her… she had caused a great interest to stir in him. _

Sasuke couldn't help a smile. She really was beautiful that night.

Once more the Old Man's words rang throughout his mind, "_You can fix everything."_

Sasuke stood up slowly and looked at the dark house, everyone was sleeping, everyone who wasn't him of course.

He sighed, "I'll do anything to make you happy." He whispered in the darkness. And he set off to find Naruto. 

**Sasuke wasted no time, first he had gone to Naruto's office **only to be told that he wasn't there, upon arriving at his old friend's house he found the man sitting solemnly at his dining table. His head upon his interlocking hands.

"Are you praying?" Sasuke asked, cocking his head to the left.

Not even moving Naruto replied, "Sushi left." The man who was normally happy and carefree had been chained to the Earth and was pending trial by his conscience for the crimes he had committed against his daughter.

"Where?"

"Don't know. She just walked out of the door. Gone. I've lost two children, Sasuke. Two! I'm the bad parent."

"She said she loved me. Even after everything. And I couldn't say anything back." Naruto shook his head slightly, "I said I 'cared about her' I cared! A parent loves his child, would die for his child, and yet she was right. I would have preferred it if it was here in the ground." He sighed, a heavy depressed sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. "Sasuke, when you asked what I would do if Sushi was gay I said I wanted her to be happy.

"But the truth, Sasuke? I didn't want her to be happy. I think that years would have passed and she would lead a sad and lonely life because of me."

Sasuke walked over to the blonde haired man and punched him on the left side of his head. Naruto fell off of his chair, smacking his right side into the carpeted floor.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Naruto's blue eyes flashing at his old rival.

"You're a fool Naruto."

Naruto sighed, Sasuke never had a way with words, but to hit him like that, he shook his head.

"What do you want anyhow?"

"Naruto, I have no doubt that Takeshi is alive. I brought him up as a Uchiha, he would not have fallen to death so easily. At this very moment I'm not willing to leave my wife's side."

Naruto nodded.

"I need every bit of information you have, cases similar to my… similar to Takeshi's. I will follow them up as soon as I am able."

"I will give you everything you need."

"_What are you doing?" "You wanted to know what it was to be submerged didn't you. You'll wake up in a few weeks… maybe months…"_

"_Hinata, whatever you do, don't push. It's too early."_

"_Kohana, there are a few jobs that we have if you're looking?" She smiled, a job is one of the first things on her list. _

_Katsu smiled, his bed smelt like the sun, she turned over and looked at him, his sleeping face relaxed and kind. Her father would kill her if he knew. "Why are you watching me sleep? It's rather bothersome." She couldn't help the small smile that lit up her face. _

**Remember to vote. Poll is on my profile.**__


	10. Child of Dreaming

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Notes: There should only be _three more chapters left_. And even worse there will be **two** **time skips **and yes there will be some loose ends no doubt that don't get tied up. But still we never know…

IMPORANT! I have changed Chapters… 7…8 and 9. Please check them out to get a full understand of the story.

**A Child of Dreaming**

"We need to speed this up. How are we going to get what we need if this boy doesn't have it?" A man's deep voice whispered into the nape of a woman's neck.

The woman sighed lovingly, "We'll get it. It'll just take a bit longer than we thought. I suggest we submerge him."

His fingers danced along the top of up her upper thigh, "Do what you must Sachi." He kissed her neck as she giggled. "We'll plunge him into his darkest dreams."

Her soft hand came up to his face as she caressed his cheek, a tinge of coldness came from a diamond ring on her hand, and their eyes connected, her light blue ones glazed over with lust and love as she fell into his dark hazel ones.

"I better be going, my love, lunch is almost over and the children always come back with some injury." She stood up and went to walk off when he grabbed her hand.

Lowering his lips above her ring and brushing them against it. "I can't believe it's been almost three years. Maybe soon we'll start a family of our own?"

Her cheeks blush deep red.

**She walked the streets, taking in the new sites, breathing in the new smells, discovering her freedom. **

But most importantly she was looking for a job. Something she could do to support herself, ensure she didn't end up living in a cardboard box somewhere.

There didn't seem to be anything around, at least not on display. The hustle and bustle of hundreds of people around her made it hard for her to get around.

'Was it this crowded back home?' She thought to herself. Maybe she had just never noticed it.

She had been out for almost three hours when she chose to go back to her tiny studio apartment.

The place was a mess. The fridge was hardly working, the freezer didn't work, the window was cracked and the bed sunk in on one side. The walls had some mold on them and she knew that wasn't healthy.

The chair in the corner only had three legs and the stove took almost 20minutes to cook a single egg.

Her heart had sunk when she opened the door to the 'freedom palace' as it was listed in the paper.

But she had to make do with the best she had.

Though it scared her to think about what the shower was going to be like.

The dirty floorboards creaked under her weight as she walked towards the bed. Sitting on the end up she placed her face in her hands and moaned softly.

"What have I done?" There was no answer, she was alone.

Completely alone.

Pushing herself back on the bed she looked up at the ceiling before closing her eyes.

Without warning her stomach launched. She flung herself up and bolted to the bathroom. Flipping up the toilet lid all the contents of her stomach piled out into the once-porcelain bowl.

Sliding herself down onto the floor she brought her knees up to her chest.

She groaned, "What is wrong with me?" she asked out loud. Whimpering as a cramp erupted in her stomach and a wave of nausea swept over her.

Sighing she stood up slowly while wincing from the cramps.

Pressing the toilet button she discovered that there was another problem.

The toilet didn't flush.

"**What are you doing?" **Takeshi's voice tried to keep calm, to stay cool. But something was up. Unlike other times when he had been brought into the medical room he still had his blindfold on. Being held by the large man who normally escorted him to the medical room.

And this time they brought Akemi; they had gagged his old friend and forcefully dragged him out. A feeling of danger seeded itself in the pit of his stomach.

Was Takeshi any other than a Uchiha he would have tried to act on his deepening fears and tried to escape. But he wasn't.

Uchiha by birth and name Takeshi was taught to keep a cool head in times where other, lesser, men would have panicked.

He was also taught by his Uncle Naruto that should anything happen they would never stop searching for him.

Any even though he waited Takeshi knew that there was no one coming.

Words are words and they hang in the air and disappear with the wind. Letters on paper can be burned. In the end everything a person says or writes has exceptions.

Everything.

He could hear Akemi whimpering through his gag, was he that scared of what was to happen? How badly did this impact him? It was not normal to hear him acting like a child. It was… unusual.

Her sickly sweet sadistic voice wormed its way around his being and made him feel dirty, "You wanted to know what it was to be submerged didn't you?" He could _hear _her smile, her lips stretched out in excitement showing off her white teeth that hide her inner demon. "You'll wake up in a few days. Maybe weeks… months… who knows it could be years."

As the large man, the uneducated buffoon, chuckled at her words pushed Takeshi in a small cylinder-like tube. His hands still bound. Forcing a breathing mask upon his face Takeshi gave in to his fight or flight and tried knocking the man over.

Pushing all of his weight into the man, trying move him was no easy feat. His body was solid mass and Takeshi had been starved and drained, he was weak, he was nothing by an ant trying to fight a child.

Takeshi was shoved with enough force that when his head hit the back of the tube he blacked out for only for a second. It was enough time for the Buffoon to put the mask on him and shut the door.

Blindfolded and bound he had no choice by to comply, no choice but the listen to his friend's screams.

"Please! Please! I beg you!" His cried burned in Takeshi's ears but something was wrong, something was different.

Thick water like substance started to flood the tube he was in. Starting at his feet it gained volume in moments reaching his chest in just under 20 seconds.

He could still hear his friend struggle.

"I didn't do anything wrong! I didn't!" Takeshi wanted to help him so badly, and he promised himself that when he gets out of this he will destroy the whole place.

"I don't even know him!" Takeshi's blood ran cold, those words that voice, as he listened closer he discovered something cruel.

It wasn't Akemi at all.

**Hinata cried out, her body was in so much pain she couldn't help it. **

She knew something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Feeling like her body was exploding she cried into her pillow. Unable to move herself, and knowing no one was home scared her.

Thankfully Hinata heard someone at the front door, "Hello? Anyone hooommme?" Her pale eyes shot open.

Tenten!

"I'm... in here." She called weakly.

"Hello?" Tenten knocked again.

A rush of pain went through her body as she arched herself of the bed, Hinata couldn't help a loud scream from escaping her.

Loud enough that Tenten shoved open the door, "Hinata? Hinata was that you?" Her brunette friend called.

Hinata curled up into the fetal position, "Tenten." She called. "TENTEN!"

Her footsteps heavy against the polished floorboards.

She saw her friend stop dead in the door way. "Oh my god Hinata." Her chocolate eyes wide with fear and freight, it clearly told Hinata that she as in a very bad state.

"Don't go anywhere. I'm sending a messenger pigeon to Sakura ok? Just… just relax."

**Katsu smiled, his bed smelt like** the sun, she turned over and looked at him, his sleeping face relaxed and kind. Her father would kill her if he knew.

"Why are you watching me sleep? It's rather bothersome." She couldn't help the small smile that lit up her face. His rough rumbling voice cracking from sleep always made her blush.

"Shut up Shikaryu." She whispered. They often spent the night together, just lying next to each other. His arms would be wrapped tightly around her, her head would rest on his chest and his heart beat would comfort her.

There are moments in a person's life where they learn the difference between family love and ever-lasting love. The only two real loves that there is. Everything else was more like a crush, like a small flower that bloomed and wilted quickly.

Katsu could help a tiny smile creep up as her ears burned ruby red.

She knew what kind of love she felt.

**Taro sat alone on the high raised patio. **His feet kicking at the dirt while he hunched over.

His hands in his pockets he felt alone. No one was home; even his sister was somewhere else in the late morning.

He was forgotten.

The sound of footsteps woke him from his depressed state.

"What's up Taro?" A smiling happy face that belonged to his best friend stood in front of him. The boy with his bright blonde hair and stunning green eyes greeted him.

"What's with that fake smile?" Taro asked with soft growl.

Jiro's smile instantly fell. Taro knew he should have been kinder but at the moment he couldn't really bring himself to care.

The boy sat himself next to his friend, "Dad's been worried over the last few days, you know, since she left." His bright green eyes became dark.

Taro threw his head back and let out a huge sigh startling his friend. He closed his dark eyes for a moment.

Suddenly he slapped his mate on the back, "Don't worry! She's your sister, she'll come back." Green eyes connected with dark.

"And Takeshi, he'll come back too you know… he really will." There was a moment of silence between the two.

Taro had always felt like he didn't matter in the eyes of his parents. He was not the first born, or the first boy, and thankfully he wasn't the first girl. Those titles were taken from him.

And if his mother has anything to say about it, he won't be the last born either.

"I'm angry at them." He whispered, Jiro stared at the wall in front of them, "Oh yeah?" He asked coolly.

"Yeah. I care about them you know? And it's like… when I need them they aren't around." He whispered, his eyes getting lost in the blue sky above them.

"Katsu is off most nights with her boyfriend… you know it's that Nara kid? As if he's any good for _my _sister! I mean come on!" He paused for a moment. "And Father is trying to make Mother happy by pretending to want to find Takeshi."

"Do… do you think I'd be good enough for your sister?" The boys looked at each other, humor dancing in their young eyes.

"Not even close!"

Jiro was about to respond when a sudden and booming voice caused them to panic.

"OH LEE! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?" The boys cringed, they were spotted, there was no way could they run now.

"YES GUY-SENSEI! THEY SHINE WITH THE SPRING OF YOUTH!"

"THAT'S RIGHT LEE! BUT WE MUST NOT BE THROWN BACK BY IT! WE TOO ARE STILL YOUNG AND YOUTHFUL!"

"YOU'RE AMAZING GUY-SENSEI!"

The boys, were where looking around the surrounding area's before a sudden flash of green and black appeared before them.

Two tall men wearing full body green jump suits descended upon them with bowl cut black hair and shiny white teeth.

"Ahh, Taro Uchiha, is your youthful sister home?" Lee asked.

"Ooooo Lee, you must first comment on his youthfulness first!" Guy-sensei spoke wisely while Lee whipped out a note pad and wrote every word down.

"So mighty young Taro, is your youthful sister home?"

Taro and Jiro stared at the two men. "No…."

"Right well then. We leave this letter with you! We will be off!"

Within a moment the two disappeared.

Looking down at the letter Taro felt his hands start to shake, he clenched his jaw.

It was sealed in red wax.

A declaration of death.

**Sitting down at the doctor's office she couldn't help but cringe **at the looks she was getting from some of the people.

She was like a new shiny toy. And the whispers make her feel even sicker than she already was, "Who is she?" "I wonder how old she is?" "Do you think she's from a good family? I'd like her to meet my son."

The door to the doctor's office open, "Well yes, you are going to continue getting sick if you eat cherries? Sir, you are allergic to them, we can't fix that."

It was a voice she hadn't heard in years, the softness of a slow deep rumble, and the slightly feminine touch. Looking up at him she knew who he was.

The contours of his high cheek bones, the tanned tinge of his lips, the constant swirl of hazel in his eyes, and of course his, now, lighter brown hair that appeared super soft!

She knew him even though he had grown taller, but he was still slender but was built and compact. Even though his beautiful eyes were behind thin wire glasses that suited him to perfection.

And most importantly she knew him by the look of recognition that lit up his beautiful eyes when he knew it was her.

His eyes sparkled, his smile lit up the room, and she knew that he was no longer the little boy she used to play with.

He picked up a piece of paper and read out, "Kohana Uzumaki!" He said her name with a small laugh, almost like he couldn't believe she was there.

**Sasuke stood outside in the hospital hallway **while his wife suffered through a fate worse than hell.

This child he had hoped could replace the void his son had left. But could it? Could the child even survive?

Inside he could hear her screams of agony as she struggled to keep herself under control. He wanted to be in there, holding her, dampening her forehead and letting her know that everything was going to be fine.

But he had his doubts.

"Hinata, whatever you do, don't push. It's too early." He could hear Sakura's voice, stained while she tried hard to keep her cool.

It was another hour before anyone came out to let him know what was happening.

It was Sakura and the moment he saw her Sasuke knew it was not going to end well.

Her normally warm green eyes were cold. Those were the eyes she used to deal with patients. '_They need someone strong to help them. They don't need you to love them. They need you to heal them.' _Those were the words she had told him many years ago.

"Sasuke." Her voice was firm, "Hinata went in to pre-mature labor. The baby will die."

Sasuke spoke his words before noticing it, "The baby will survive. Hinata will survive. We'll all be fixed."

Her soft hand rested on his shoulder, "She needs to stay here until the 7th month mark ok? That is one more month. I _will _exercise my right has your medi-nin to abort."

She was speaking as a friend and as their Doctor, and all he could do was nod.

Sasuke knew that they were pushing it. A pregnancy like theirs could kill his wife and their child. His stomach turned and his throat felt like it was shutting on its own.

As he watched Sakura walk off Sasuke walked into Hinata's hospital room. He wouldn't lie; it hurt him to see his wife lying on the white bed, her legs elevated to help stop labor.

His wife, a woman he didn't truly love until the day she had given birth to their son;

His missing son.

Her pale eyes raw and red from the welled up tears. The wet cold trails from her eyes to her cheeks and small wet spots on the white sheet.

"Sasuke." Her voice raspy from her crying. He walked over and took her small pale shaking hand. "Sasuke, you need to bring Takeshi back." She whispered.

"Hinata I-" He started but was cut off by Hinata.

"I can't Sasuke. I can't, I can't, I can't, Sasuke." Her eye welled up and her whole body shook as a river of tears flooded the room.

Sasuke grabbed the sides of her head and held her still as she shook, her eyes glary and frozen over, "Hinata. Calm down. It's not good for the baby." He whispered to her in his most gentle voice.

She sniffed, "Sasuke I can't." She cried weakly.

"Can't wait Hinata?"

"I can't lose two babies." Tears continued falling, "Bring him back. Bring him back, please. Please. Please. Please bring him back." Sasuke pulled her close, her head against his steady breathing chest.

But under his clothing and his skin, his heart was being torn. To save his son is to save his wife. To save his son is to ruin his name.

Sasuke could no longer hear the body tearing sobs. As he looked down through his dark onyx eyes he saw his sleeping wife.

He shook his head as he laid her down on the bed gently.

_To save Takeshi is to save my family._

"**So my Dear what is wrong with you?" **The voice was so insanely professional that she was caught off guard for moment.

Snapping out of it she told him, "I've been vomiting a lot. I can hardly keep anything down. I feel dizzy and nauseas."

The Doctor who sat across from her reviewed her symptoms.

"Have you been feeling this way for a long time?" He asked, peering at her from behind his glasses.

She felt like a child under his strong glaze, "Um, yes. For the last five six months… maybe, I think."

He tapped his pen against a small clipboard in his hands, "Are you sexually active?" He asked in a passive way. His peering eyes making her uncomfortable.

"No! Not at all." She whispered as if it was a crime.

He raised his left eyebrow in disbelief, "Have you had sex in the last year?" He asked again.

Biting her lip she suddenly saw where this was heading, "Wha… wha…what?" She stuttered.

"Have you-"

"I bloody heard you!" She cried out causing him to display a sudden shock and then grin in amusement.

"Well then you should be able to answer, should you now?" He teased her slightly, enjoying the redness that spread her pale face. It reminded him a little of when they were younger.

"I have." She bit down her red lips, "Just once."

"Was….. it unprotected sex?" He asked.

She lowered her head and nodded. Her light pink and blonde hair falling in front of her face giving her a curtain in which to hide herself.

He paused for a moment, "Who was it?" He asked purely for personal reasons.

Her eyes widened and she looked up at him in complete horror. She knew Takeshi's feeling towards Akemi as children. "It was… it was…."

"Takeshi?" Akemi's voice came out a little strained and laced with what seemed to be distance and jealousy but also sadness.

Once more like a child she just sat there and nodded her head.

She could hear the Doctor shifting himself around in his large black chair.

There was a moment of awkwardness before he asked, "How is he?"

Her heart broke.

"He's missing." Her words were whispered almost silently but the man across from her seemed to hear every word. The pen crashed to the floor.

He picked it up in a hurry and she took this moment to explain. "He got into a fight with his father. He was kicked out. And while on a mission he was taken." She finished her explanation calmly and almost passive. If it wasn't for the fact her face betrayed her words than Akemi would have thought she didn't care.

"I-I see. So he could still be…"

She slammed her hands down on his desk, startling him, "Of course!"

Sliding down back into her chair Akemi took the chance to ask her, "What did they fight about?"

"Takeshi is gay. His father is an asshole." She mumbled.

"Is…Is that so?"

"Yeah."

Suddenly she felt the awkwardness that was coming from her childhood friend.

"But you had sex with him?" He asked with great confusion, his eyes narrowed behind his glasses.

"Yes."

"But he's…?

"Yes."

"And the two of you had sex?"

"No we made taco's."

"And he's gay?"

"Can I have a pregnancy test now please?"

"He's really gay?"

She couldn't help but kick his desk in hopes to wake him from his stupor.

He looked at her as if he had forgotten she was even there. Suddenly he cleared throat and pulled something from his draw.

"Right, take this, pee on it, bring it back."

Snatching the test from his hand she stomped into the room he pointed to off to the side.

But there was a fear gnawing at her.

_I couldn't be, could I?_

**Takeshi woke up, sun seeping through his thickly woven curtains **and lighting up his bedroom.

Rolling over he was confronted with a back. The soft curves that created an hour glass of a figure, dark honey brown hair fanned out in a knotted mess on the pillows.

Pushing himself up off the bed and groaning in disagreement as the cooler air hit his skin he made his way to their ensuite bathroom.

He tried his hardest to wake the sleeping woman as he flushed and washed his hands. Spraying his face with water he looked up in the mirror.

"I look so old." He whispered to his reflection, straightening himself up he smiled. "Nah, I'm only 21." Saying his name out loud made him feel even worse.

He had a large deep scar running from his bottom eye lid to his jaw bone. His once fresh and scar free face was now completed with tiny scars he had accumulated since he was 17.

One battle after another. Anything so he didn't have to come home.

But he did. He couldn't just leave his responsibilities. He couldn't leave her, he loved her.

Her dark brown hair and sweet hazel eyes. The way she smiled and laughed, how she cried with a soft sweetness, but mostly he loved how much she needed him.

Takeshi could hear her starting to wake and so he hurried out of the bathroom. In the corner of the room he walked softly with flower like gentleness.

"Shhh," He whispered as he caressed her small pink face. "Now there my little Koto."

He smiled. His only reason for ever returning home.

"Come to your Daddy, we'll go get you some breakfast."

His little harp.

"**Well you aren't pregnant." **Akemi told his old friend. "I think you have CVS."

"Normally it occurs in children and rarely happens to adults. However you are an unexpected case. I can give you some capsules, take 3 a day." He stood up and walked towards a large cabinet, mumbling to himself while on the hunt.

Finally he grabbed a small bottle and closed the doors. Sitting back down Akemi handed the small orange bottle to her.

"Take one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one at night. Roughly 30minutes before you eat. This is a new concept." He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped, as he peered at her from behind his specs.

"If this had start two years ago there would have been no help. Only in recent times after Doctor's discovered these and put them on trial. They had a large success rate. You should be fine." She nodded.

There was a silence between them. Almost sad.

He broke it first, "Sushi, why are you here?"

She didn't need to look up, "I left home. I left home because I couldn't deal with Father, with Takeshi's disappearance. I left and now I'm stuck in a run down, soul crushing, uninhabitable apartment."

"A-and, please Akemi. I want to live a different life, to restart, I no longer want to go by 'Sushi' but by my real name."

She heard him chuckle.

"You always were stubborn. Always strong, like a tidal wave. Taking over and crushing anything in your way. You've changed though, you know that. You don't pretend to be happy and anymore and that's a good thing."

She looked at him, his smile comforting her.

_I did the right thing. _

"I should be going." Kohana stood up abruptly. "We've been here for almost over two hours and there are other waiting!"

Akemi laughed. "I'm not on duty anymore. The others would have been seen by my two mentors. You were my last, Miss Kohana." He smiled and her heart skipped a beat.

He reminded her of Takeshi is a very brotherly way.

"We should catch up. Tea, dinner, that kind of thing." He told her. And she laughed.

"We should." She didn't want to tell him she was almost broke.

As he showed her the door he waved goodbye.

"Oh and Kohana, there are a few a few jobs that we have if you're looking?" She smiled, a job is one of the first things on her list.

"I want you here in two days at 8am." He cocked his head the side and gave her an innocent smile.

She hated how he could always read her.

But she loved him like that anyway.

"_You've been here for almost three months. It's summer, go to the beach." She shook her head. "Well you can go visit him and do work you know…"_

"_You married for a good reason Takeshi. To continue our line."_

"_Where's my daughter? WHERE IS SHE?"_

_Hinata heard nothing, a deafening silence and her heartbroke. All she wanted to hear was the cry. _


	11. Because I Try I fail to Succeed

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Notes: Hot damn have I been gone that long? Wow. Well first of all a bit has happened. I went to a few convention dressed as a pokemon, Diglett, and even went to a Gay Rights protest dressed as Diglett. It was rather amusing see this large brown worm thing jumping around for equal rights, even more amusing when I was shown on the news!

Because I Try I fail to Succeed

_When I was in the military they gave me a medal for_

_killing two men and a discharge for loving one._

_~Epitaph of Leonard P. Matlovich, 1988_

Katsu stood outside, the chilly wind seeped into her strong bones.

Just one year ago this house was warm and lively. Her older brother would sweep down and pull her into a hug all the while laughing and smiling, his strong arms would remind her of her Father's. 

They both held her gently. 

Now another pair of arms kept her warm, made her feel safe, made her feel as if she was nothing more than the most loved person in the village, nay, the world. But she couldn't speak about it to anyone. She wouldn't. Katsu couldn't even begin to worry about how her Father would demand see stop seeing him, focus on her studies. Her mother would be worried about what they are doing but she would accept them without any trouble.

So who was she really holding back for?

He sat in the dirt, his legs opened wide while he traced with a sharp ended stick. Katsu could see what he was tracing and it made her sad. The stick made another T followed by the A and the subsequent letters that followed, K E S H I.

In a way Katsu wondered if her Father had forgotten about him the way he had threatened. Her small, but tough skinned, fist curled and clenched.

"Taro," She called, her gentle voice barking out suddenly across the cool crisp setting.

His eyes sought her instantly with an odd coldness that caught her off guard momentarily. His glaze held Katsu's for only a moment but suddenly it wasn't the chilly air that made her shiver but her younger brother's eyes.

It scared her.

Looking back at the silent house, her parents were still at the hospital, she knew that the house wouldn't miss them for a short time.

"Taro," she called softly and this time he did not look up. "Come with me." She watched his shoulders stiffen. "I'm taking you out for lunch." He did not relax. He was guarded, angry, spurned and pained.

She wouldn't tell him about her partner, not yet.

He stood up and patted the dirt off his black baggy shorts and flapped out his blood red shirt, small particles fell slowly off and landed on the dirt ground.

He was more hurt than anyone else. He was closer to Takeshi.

He was not born to feel alone, none of them were.

Suddenly he spoke as she fell into step beside him as they walked slowly out of the compound. "Do you think he's alive?" Katsu had to strain to hear his whisper, "Of course. He wouldn't die on us."

"Do you think he remembers us?" "How could he forget?" She smiled at her little brother but inside she had worried about that as well. Torture does a lot of things to a person's brain, she hoped that he hadn't forgotten.

If only for their brother's sake.

**Hinata looked down at the small infant **suckling away on her breast. Even now after her first three she was still amazed.

Amazed that her body could nurture something so beautiful, amazed that her body could provide the food and comfort for such a little bring.

Even more she was amazed that her baby had held on for so long.

They had rushed the baby into the next room, Hinata knew they did this when they didn't expect the baby to survive.

After five terrifying minutes of her crying and being unable to breathe, think, or speak there was the most soul wrenching sound. A small speak, a gurgling, and then a full high pitched blood curling sound that was complete heaven to her ears.

Sasuke had held her hand during the whole time; he was just as, if not more, scared than what Hinata was. Those few moments played over and over in her mind and reminded her how lucky she was to have this small baby in her arms two weeks later.

But still Hinata can hear her words forever embedded in the white walls of her room;

"_Where's my daughter? WHERE IS SHE?"_

A new baby girl with a tiny amount of black hair and clear blue eyes that appeared almost as cold as ice.

**His baby girl, a new baby, a new child. **Sasuke had though he was ready for it. He had hoped for it, hoped for a new heir, someone to continue their name and their blood. To bring about new Uchiha's and strike fear into any of who oppose them.

He had gotten a girl.

Sasuke was by no means upset that instead of the male heir the God's had seen fit to give him another female.

She was beautiful. His baby girl. He had four children now. A part of him wondered if Takeshi was even still alive.

My son….

**"Are you getting out of bed?" **He asked kindly, his voice as soft as a feather floating in the wind.

She sat up and looked at him with her bright red eyes blistering with hate and disgust. "I gave you a child, did I not?" she hissed, her voice letting him know that her eyes were painfully unforgiving.

"Must I lay on my back once more and allow you to fumble with my garments. Must I degrade myself already? Allow a heaving bull such as yourself the _pleasure _of spilling your fairy dust inside me?" Her teeth were clenched and Takeshi wondered how they had not broken.

"I believe our contract says I have another 6 months do I not?" Takeshi nodded.

"I simply wanted to know if you were coming down to eat." He told her, his voice unshaken. She acted like this almost every morning, always jumping on and counting how many months she had left.

"Get out." She barked at him as she tied back her long wavy bleach blonde hair, her fringe fell in her eyes. She as beautiful as blue rose among red and she knew he didn't care.

He had cooked breakfast, eggs on toast with turkey on top, and at the table she sat every now and then glaring at the happy innocent baby next to her.

"I don't want to be here." She whispered as she shuffled her eggs around her toast.

Takeshi noted that although she often said that this time it was different. He remembered telling his father about the way she was acting, his words were simply, '_You married for a good reason Takeshi. To continue out line'_ But Takeshi wasn't sure that it was a good reason at all.

He pulled up the chair next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He watched as she winced as if he had burned her.

He moved his hand and swept her fringe away from her eyes giving him a clear shot at them.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You gave me a beautiful little girl and hopefully you will allow me to 'fumble' and spill my 'fairy dust' once more. I know this isn't what you wanted. However I noticed in the contract that we must only stay married for five years." Her red eyes swam inside his darker ones, he would never know how much she wanted him to love her.

She was stuck with him for the rest of her life, stuck with a man who will love her but never truly want to be with her, never be _in_ love with her and it killed her. Every day she was forced to look at the small child that didn't look a thing like her.

The brown hair and hazel eyes weren't hers at all. She felt like a guest in her home, unwelcomed. But that child, if she had not given birth to the baby herself there would be a lot of denying, more so than she already did.

She was jealous of the baby as well. The baby…. It angered her that this child was a product of her body and yet… yet it belonged to him. Takeshi, her husband, the father of that child and owner of the house, the heir to the most feared clans.

That baby… that…His little Koto…. Little Koto Uchiha. She was forced everyday to watch how he looked at his daughter, without regret or sadness or distain. But when he looked at her she could see everything.

She saw the way he really felt, the fakeness in his eyes, the intense lies that hid under all of it. When they went out she watched him eye off other men in a most disgusting way, and she felt as if she was not good enough.

Koto through her little spoon on the floor and started crying, "Ah, Suki, could you get her for a moment? I'll be right in, just need to fix my tie." Her arms went out towards the alien child. She held her close to her body, almost willing herself to bring to child back into her.

Koto continued crying, even worse, she started screaming. Suki felt her heart being ripped out. Her own flesh and blood hated her. This baby she had given life to, given food, and blood and love, given the space inside her own body to nurture her.

Suki resisted the angry that rose inside her and called for her to throw the child to the floor. The anger was powerful and she had felt it for many months, it sat there inside her simmering every time she looked at Koto, every time Takeshi looked at her.

She hated her own child.

_"Hi," his voice was gruff and bubbly at the same time. His eyes told her he wanted to be far away rather than standing in front of her. His body was withdrawn but he tried. She understood. They were sitting here while their fathers' discussed marriage arrangements without their approval, without their want._

Suki had to admit that the second her eyes rested upon the tall dark haired stranger her heart begun to beat with a wild fever. She thought of everything they would do together as husband and wife. She thought of their future children, the names, the schools, she had thought of waking up next to him everyday for the rest of her life, she had even thought of the fights and how she would resolve them.

Suki had thought of everything within the first hour of meeting the Uchiha boy and she could stop a smile twitching at her lips.

They were both 19, their 20_th__ birthdays were a month apart and their fathers' thought that was a good sign._

Her bright red eyes watched every movement the boy across from her did. A shifting of his arm, a twitch of his nose, a tap of his foot. His white shirt covered his chest snuggly, his body under unnoticeable but she could tell he was slender. His muscles were rather small but that meant nothing in the ninja world.

His baggy black pants scratched together when he crossed his legs over.

And there she sat, in her below-the-knee white dress with lace trimmings and a thick yellow sash going around her small waist look smaller. Her Grandmother had once told her as a child, 'No one will marry you if they think you're fat' _Suki had blown it off but everytime she looked in a mirror the words came back._

Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a windsor bun, the same style used for tie. Her hands folded neatly in her lap, her long nails painted a light and alluring pink. Her shoes a light yellow opened toed sandal.

Suddenly a door to their left opened and her father came out followed by the other Uchiha… she couldn't recall his name.

Her father was a tall proud, loud, red haired man. When he spoke the walls would shake, "Well my sweet daughter, it has been decided! You shall marry this man!" His freckled face beamed as their similar red eyes connected, she let out a gasp of happiness, and stopped herself from hugging her father.

She felt as if she had just won that large stuffed puppy in a side show.

The Uchiha cleared his throat and her eyes burned into him, hoping for some more good news. His dark eyes were almost the same as her future husbands, will their child have the same ones?

"The wedding will be in one month." Her mind twirled, this was better than a stuffed dog; it was like two stuffed dogs.

In Suki's excitement she failed to notice a burning look from the Uchiha elder towards his son, and how her future husband looked as if his world had fallen apart.

She didn't know he was a lamb, a sacrificial lamb.

But she didn't care, she had gotten handsome husband who would love her and love their children. She had gotten everything she had wanted.

**There were rumors floating around the village, whispers** filling every nook and cranny, no one was immune to the whispers, they plagued the village worse than small pox.

"Didn't you hear? He cursed his daughter and kicked her out?

"I heard he told her that she disgusted him."

"She left? Are you sure? Wow. Do you think they did it because she wasn't as strong as them?"

"No, what I heard was that they couldn't forgive her. You know she couldn't stop her brother from getting killed?"

"She was so young. I can't believe they still blame her."

They could hear the voice even in their sleep now. Sakura had lost some of her patients, after hearing the news, Jiro was forced to sit through them at school listen to the taunts and teasing of his classmates. Naruto saw the glances thrown his way at work.

Sakura continued on as if nothing at happened but Naruto could tell. Her once bright green eyes were dull and under she had dark circles. She begun to fidget and didn't like sitting still for too long.

Naruto left his office early. The looks from his employees were starting to suffocate him and he needed to get out.

As he walked as calmly as possible out of the building he went to the hospital. Hinata had been discharged for almost two weeks now but the baby had to stay in hospital.

Before he knew it he was standing outside of Uchiha baby's room and saw Sakura holding the newborn on her lap with a bottle of baby formula, and Naruto was reminded of the day she gave birth to their son, Yukio. His beautiful head covered with massive amount of hair, his screaming voice, and tearful blue eyes at birth.

His heart at that moment understood what it meant to love beyond loving. He had loved his wife, he would fight, die, Naruto would live for her very existence. But for this screaming gray, almost alien, child, his child, he would run and hide. He would throw his pride to the ground and take this child to another world if it meant protecting him.

He had never felt such a rush of love then at that moment, and that love had never gone away.

It hurt, he wouldn't deny, when he saw Sakura cradling the baby. He remember how tired but happy she was, how she would hum songs to hush Yukio, how she would tuck him into the cradle next to their bed.

She did that with all of their children, Sushi, Yukio, Jiro, but he was their first son. He was going to go onto great things. He would be as strong and powerful as Naruto was. He would dream to take over as Hokage and would succeed. Yukio would be as smart as his mother and would marry someone just as beautiful, they would have a family and live close by so that they would visit all the time. He would have a son and name him after Naruto.

He would die an old man, in his sleep, a long time after Naruto had gone.

These were things he had hoped, things Naruto knew were possible and yet one moment had changed the whole world;

And took one.

Suddenly Naruto felt he needed to get out and he took off running down the white hallways, down the white stairways and out onto the dirt ground. His heart felt broken something had occurred to him, something horrible, something true.

He shuffled along the streets until the sun went down, until the children ran home to their parents who had most likely finished cooking dinner. He walked with nowhere in mind until his feet had carried him to a place he had not wanted to see. Not right now.

There he stood in the chilly wind as it circled around him in an almost comforting way he felt something say to him 'Go on.' As he walked among the graves, he noticed how many had weeds growing and wondered who were these people that had died? Had he met them in their lifetime, had he met their families, did they had children, grandchildren? Did they have a good life? He wondered for a moment if they had feared death, known it was coming, had they gone to Heaven or find themselves in Hell?

Suddenly Naruto wondered, 'Had my son feared his death?' It was one of the many things he had tried to forget. But when he found himself standing in front of the small grave with his sons name on the headstone he knew he couldn't run anymore.

Naruto fell to his knees, his blue eyes watered, his hands limp by his side and his face aging more than a thousand years.

"I love you," Naruto whispered, he shook his head slightly, "I will always love you. I can't pretend anymore," His hand reached out and traced the name, "My son, always be my son. But you're dead." Saying out loud for the first time in a long time hurt him, "And I have questions I want to know. I want to know what really happened, how it happened. Why you were taken." Naruto's clear blue eyes became clouded with tears, "I need to know, were you scared, do you hate me for not being able to save you?

I need to know what to do. When I look at her I see her standing there, I see her smiling and it hurts. It hurts that you're not here anymore. I…. I ruined everything." The tears fell in silence, his eyes blinking causing the tears to clump his eyelashes together. "It's my fault you know. I should have been standing next to you. I should have entrusted your care to your sister. She was so young, you know she couldn't… couldn't even throw a right punch."

"I've blamed her all these years. I wanted it to be her, anyone but you." He felt his heart become lighter, the words he had been holding in since the day of his son's death had been torturing him and now he could let it go. It was time.

"It wasn't her fault. She didn't mean to let go of you. But I need to don't I? You're gone and I can't keep wishing you weren't. I will never stop loving you, Yukio, but I can't lose Sushi as well. I can't lose two."

Naruto never noticed her standing at the edge of the yard, straining her ears to hear his confessions, his words of loss, his brokenness. She stood there with her jacket wrapped tightly around her and her eyes overflowing. Alone at the edge of that graveyard she said her own goodbye and felt her world grow that little bit lighter.

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End file.
